Haunting the Panther
by Stony Knight
Summary: After his final battle with Ichigo, Grimmjow never expected to wake up again. However, he now finds himself living in Soul Society, assisting the shinigami, and trying to heal himself and others. And what's with a former rival seeking his protection?
1. Chapter 1

**Haunting the Panther**

**Summary: **After his final battle with Ichigo, Grimmjow never expected to wake up again. So where is he, and what's with his caretakers' being so nice to him?

**Warnings: **uh?…, a very tamed-down Grimmjow who I know seems way too out-of-character… he says it's the drugs! But he still gets a few words in here and there… Rating mainly due to some content of possible later chapters. (Depends on if anyone wants more.)

**Disclaimer:** If I really owned Bleach, do you honestly think I'd still be in college right now?

Grimmjow gave a soft groan as he rolled onto his side. Feeling a small jab in his arm accompany his movement, the Arrancar cracked open an eye to glare at the offending object of annoyance near his left elbow.

"Damn," he growled, realizing he was hooked up to an IV. Glancing around at his surroundings, he found himself in an unfamiliar hospital room. He gave another soft growl at this discovery, knowing immediately that he was no longer in Hueco Mundo. Grimmjow also noticed with continued annoyance that he couldn't detect anyone near his room; his reiatsu had been sealed.

With a sigh he rolled onto his back again. The IV bag hanging above his head was nearly empty, meaning someone would be coming to replace it soon. Vaguely he wondered how long he had been in this bed. The final wound Ichigo had given him should have been fatal, and the fact that he was in a hospital room rather than a jail cell meant that he must have just barely proven that conclusion wrong. Obviously his shinigami captors did not regard him as much of a threat, another conclusion he was determined to prove wrong eventually. For right now, though, it would be best for the Arrancar just to bide his time.

… And hope he wasn't interrogated through methods of torture…

Soft footsteps to his right brought Grimmjow's attention to the door. A small, young-looking shinigami had entered his room carrying the replacement bag for his IV. For a long moment they stared at each other; Grimmjow impassive and bored, the shinigami completely shocked.

"Grimmjow-san, when did you wake up?" the youngster inquired, quickly slipping over to his bedside. He began to change the IV bag before checking on the Arrancar's vitals. Grimmjow just continued to watch the boy.

"We weren't expecting you to wake up for at least another week, sir," the boy said once he was done writing down readings on a clipboard. "How are…"

"How long have I been out?" Grimmjow interrupted, his impassive face now taking on a curious look.

The boy began scribbling something on the back of the board and then counted on his fingers. "Five weeks and four days. We almost lost you twice during the time following the initial surgeries to repair the damage caused by your wounds."

"Who brought me here?"

"Kurosaki-san and Abarai-fukutaicho did," the shinigami replied. Grimmjow leaned back from his semi-upright position, pondering over this information.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, Grimmjow-san. Is there anything you need right now?" the boy interrupted his thoughts.

The Arrancar glanced at the shinigami again, staring curiously. Why would he be glad about his enemy's recovery?

"What is your name, shinigami?"

"Hanataro Yamada," the boy answered.

Grimmjow nodded, "Thank you, Hanataro, I require nothing else at this time."

The shinigami gave a small bow and left. Grimmjow yawned before settling back again to sleep.

* * *

After leaving the Arrancar's hospital room, Hanataro quickly made his way to his taicho's office. He politely knocked on the doorframe and waited for Unohana to invite him into the room. She gave him one of her famous, gentle smiles as she glanced up from the paperwork she was reviewing.

"How may I help you, Hanataro-san?"

"Unohana-taicho," the seventh-seat officer bowed, "the Arrancar has awoken."

Hanataro handed over the clipboard with Grimmjow's statistics while giving a quick report on their conversation. Unohana listened attentively before thanking and dismissing the officer to his other duties. She then quickly began preparing messages for Yamamoto-soitaicho and Soi Fong-taicho concerning the Arrancar's change in condition.

After sending the messages off, Unohana decided to check on the Arrancar herself. Hanataro's description on his attitude and behavior surprised her and made her curious. When she entered Grimmjow's room, she found him curled up on his side, facing the doorway but glaring at the needle on the inside of his left elbow.

"Is the IV bothering you, Grimmjow-san?" Unohana asked politely.

Grimmjow looked up, his eyes widening monetarily upon spotting the captain's haori. He had come to seriously loath that particular article of clothing, remembering his first painful encounter with Aizen, Tousen, and Ichimaru. He gave a soft, unconscious growl as his thoughts turned dark, and Unohana thought she caught sight of a haunted look flashing through the Arrancar's eyes. It was gone in a split second, however, leaving her to wonder if she had actually seen it in the first place.

"It is bothersome, but there is nothing to be done about it," Grimmjow returned to glaring at the offending needle. "I doubt you will be removing it anytime soon anyway."

"It could be relocated to the back of your hand if you wish," Unohana replied, stepping closer to the Arrancar's bedside. Grimmjow appeared to consider this option for a few moments before nodding. Unohana quickly gathered some medical supplies from a nearby cabinet and set to work.

"Why didn't you ask Hanataro to do this for you?" the shinigami captain questioned.

"I didn't realize it was going to be so irritating until after he left and I tried to go back to sleep," he replied, watching everything Unohana did like a hawk. When she went to put in the new needle, the captain swore she saw the haunted look return to the Arrancar's eyes, but once again it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"All finished," Unohana announced a moment later, releasing his hand. Grimmjow immediately began flexing his elbow before protectively cradling his left arm to his chest with a contented sigh. Unohana smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Better?" she asked. Grimmjow nodded before giving a yawn. "Get some more rest, Grimmjow-san. I'll have someone bring you some food a little later."

"When will you want to interrogate me?" Grimmjow asked as he rolled back onto his right side.

"Yamamoto-soitaicho will decide that shortly, and it's not going to be as much of an interrogation as you think," Unohana pulled the bed sheet up a little farther over Grimmjow's shoulder. "Abarai-fukutaicho, Inoue-san, and Kurosaki-san have already given us very thorough reports on their time in Hueco Mundo."

After the fourth division captain left his room, two questions passed through Grimmjow's mind. Why did the two shinigami tending to him seem to care if he was comfortable? And why the hell did he let that captain mother him?

"They must have me drugged up on something good…," Grimmjow yawned once more before finally drifting back to sleep.

* * *

The next time the Arrancar woke up, he found Hanataro was back in his room along with Unohana-taicho. The younger shinigami, noting he was awake, pushed a wheeled table over to Grimmjow's bed with a tray of steaming food on it. Grimmjow pushed himself into a sitting position, feeling his muscles protest the movement painfully after being inactive for so long. A moment later he felt Unohana place several extra pillows behind his back for him to lean against.

"Thank you," he said to both as he settled in comfortably once again and began to eat. Both shinigami were surprised at how delicate Grimmjow was when eating his food.

"Hollows are always hungry," he said after a moment. "It does me no benefit to wolf down my meals, so I might as well take time to enjoy them."

"I don't mean any offense, but you just seem so much more refined compared to Kurosaki-san's descriptions of you," Unohana replied.

Grimmjow just nodded, not exactly sure how to respond to that statement. He knew he was stubborn and reckless when it came to battle; he simply loved to fight. But outside of battle he usually acted like he was bored and didn't care about what was going on around him. Was his politeness too out-of-character compared to the descriptions they had heard about him? Perhaps, but Aizen had never treated him this well. In fact the bastard had treated him like shit and constantly set him up just so he could "punish" Grimmjow for his brash actions. The Sexta Espada had just been a play toy for the former shinigami captain.

The Arrancar didn't realize he was quivering in anger and frustration until he felt Unohana rest a gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking up into her eyes, he saw something that no one had ever shown him before; concern.

"What's wrong, Grimmjow-san?" she asked, never breaking eye contact even after seeing the frightening fire burning within the Arrancar's own eyes.

Grimmjow immediately began to calm himself down under the captain's soft gaze, "Aizen never treated me as if I were of any worth other than for his amusement. He came in and stole what was mine, and then…"

He sighed and tilted his head back to rest on the pillows. After a moment he spoke again, "Why would Kurosaki want to save my ass anyway?"

"Because I owed you," came a familiar voice from the doorway. Ichigo strolled into the room along with Yamamoto-soitaicho and Soi Fong-taicho. "No matter how unintentional it may have been, you did save my life and bring Inoue to me so that I could complete the mission I set out to do. Besides, I want to know what was with those looks you kept giving me during our little battle. It was almost as if you were worried that you had actually hurt me!"

A smirk slowly formed on Grimmjow's face, "Well shinigami, I just didn't want our fun to end too soon. Plus someone is going to have to knock Aizen back into his lowly, little place eventually, and so far you're the only one I've come across who I think has even a rat's ass chance in hell of doing it!"

Ichigo grinned broadly, "Truce then?"

"Hai, shinigami, hai," Grimmjow nodded, his smirk melting into a genuine smile. And for the first time in a long time, the Arrancar felt truly happy and content with life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Haunting the Panther**

**Warnings: **uh?…, more out-of-character Grimmjow, some really non-cannon ideas (sorry, I just had to add them, but I did try my best to make them seem plausible.) Yamamoto is out-of-character too, but it's been so long since I've seen or read anything with him in it that it's really hard for me to write him. (He's just kinda necessary at this point, which is the only reason why he's here.)

**A/N: **uh no, this is not going to turn into Grimm/Ichi. Although I'm sure some of you wish it would. I'm trying to explore new territory here to an extent, and Grimm/Ichi is definitely not new!… oh, and if you have any suggestions or input, it's appreciated. I have ideas of where I want to take this story, but readers' comments may make me change my mind on some things…

**Disclaimer:** Again, I don't own Bleach. I can barely manage to get my own original characters to look the same from drawing to draw! There's no way I could do an entire manga/anime series!

"If you two are finished, I would like to ask you some questions, Grimmjow," Yamamoto-soitaicho announced as Ichigo's and the Arrancar's conversation seemed to come to a momentary halt.

Grimmjow nodded and gave the commander his full attention.

"First off, your words seem to indicate that you feel no loyalty towards Aizen. Is this correct?"

"Yes, sir, you are correct," the Arrancar replied.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Before Aizen came to Hueco Mundo, there were several Ajuchas who had elected me to be their king. At first I really didn't care either way, but they insisted on following me. When Aizen invade our world, he killed off several of my later followers and stripped me of my title. He left me my original followers and transformed us into Arrancar. Although reaching that level had been our goal, I hated him for what he did. And I hated myself for not being able to protect my younger followers. Despite the fact that I was respected and obeyed by many residents of Hueco Mundo, Aizen always treated me as if I was of little significance. He has never respected me in the least."

"And according to what Kurosaki has told us, you absolutely hate to be looked down upon," Yamamoto added once Grimmjow fell silent.

"At first I thought if I just took some initiative and showed him my ability to lead, he would treat me better; maybe even accept my council on some matters. But after being retrieved from my first battle with Kurosaki, I realized it was never going to happen."

"Is that when he cut off your left arm?" Yamamoto inquired.

"It was actually Tousen who cut off my arm, but yes," Grimmjow nodded. "Tousen had wanted to kill me for being disrespectful and for running off without orders to do so. Aizen wouldn't allow him. I became angry over something that was said, and that's when Tousen sliced off my arm. The glint of amusement in Aizen's eyes made me realize that he had purposefully set Tousen and me against each other just for fun."

Grimmjow growled out the last few words as he unconsciously gathered his left arm to his chest, glaring in a protective manner as he rubbed at it. Yamamoto gave the Arrancar a few moments to calm down again before continuing with his questions. After forty-five minutes he seemed to be satisfied with everything he had learned. Soi Fong had been busy writing down every word that Grimmjow said. She quickly reviewed her notes before indicating that she too was satisfied with the questioning and had nothing else she wished to ask the Arrancar.

Yamamoto-soitaicho turned to Grimmjow one last time, "So Arrancar, I have one last question for you."

Grimmjow stared at the commander expectantly.

"Would you be interested in forming an alliance with Soul Society until Aizen is defeated and brought to justice?"

"Sir, I will be your ally until Aizen is put in his proper place and even afterwards if you so desire," Grimmjow replied, "as long as you promise not to execute me after this war is over."

Yamamoto considered this for a moment.

"So be it, but if you break any law of Soul Society that would warrant any type of severe punishment, you may consider your execution date to be imminent," the commander finally agreed.

"Fair enough," Grimmjow nodded.

Yamamoto then stepped forward and presented a zanpakuto to the Arrancar. He immediately recognized it as Pantera and timidly accepted the blade back into his care, offering very sincere thanks for its return. Yamamoto-soitaicho then left with Soi Fong-taicho following in his wake, the two discussing how many copies of Grimmjow's testimony would need to be made. Ichigo grabbed a stool from beside the door and brought it over to the Arrancar's bedside, sitting down while grinning at the former Espada.

"That was certainly a lot gentler than I was expecting from him," Ichigo announced. "If I knew he was going to go so easy on you, I wouldn't have demanded to be present when he questioned you."

"The reports that you, Ishida, and Inoue provided us were thorough enough that there wasn't much left to ask about," Unohana-taicho informed the substitute shinigami. "You gathered more information than we had ever imagined you would."

"There are quite a few Arrancar who have become disillusioned with Aizen," Grimmjow added. "They tend to flap their jaws more than Aizen would think." Ichigo nodded his agreement.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Grimmjow-san?" Unohana asked while Hanataro left to retrieve another bag for the Arrancar's IV.

"Perhaps another meal in awhile, but I'm comfortable for right now," he replied, settling back against his pillows again.

"Then I'll be back in awhile and leave you and Kurosaki-san to talk," Unohana smiled before turning to leave. A moment later Hanataro came back in to change the IV bag. When he was finished, he politely took his leave and returned to his other duties.

There was a long silence between the two former enemies before Ichigo sighed and picked up the Arrancar's right hand.

"So many times this hand has tried to be the death of me," he whispered. "You never did fight for Aizen, only for yourself. And I loved watching you fight even if I was getting the crap beat out of me as I did so. Out of everyone I've fought, you've become my favorite opponent."

"What? You going soft on me, shinigami?" Grimmjow asked.

Ichigo glared at him.

"Eh, you're right, shinigami. You were soft to begin with," the Arrancar chuckled. It was a deep, rich sound, not the insane laughter that Ichigo had heard from him in times past.

"Seems like you're going a little soft there yourself, Grimmjow," Ichigo smirked.

"Hn, and here I was hoping I could blame it on being drugged."

Ichigo smiled and continued to inspect the Arrancar's hand, running his fingers between the ridges of the tendons and his thumb over the smooth nails.

"I owe you, too, Ichigo," the teen glanced at the other curiously. It was the first time he could remember the Arrancar using his real name.

"You've gotten me out of a bad situation and into a position where I may be able to do more to fix it," Grimmjow said. "And you've knocked some sense into me. I should be fighting to protect my home, despite how impossible winning the battle may seem. Aizen's presence soils our lands, and we're shaming ourselves if we're just going to roll over and let him take it from us."

"If you hate shinigami so much, why did you agree to become an ally of Soul Society?" Ichigo inquired.

"It's not the shinigami, Ichigo. It's Aizen," Grimmjow growled. "He's corrupted a sacred alliance that most shinigami have forgotten about. I would have thought that you, of all people, would have recognized that."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ichigo stared at him.

"Perhaps not the historic details, but what about that little hollow that lives inside you?" the Arrancar whispered. "You borrow his power in battle, don't you?"

"How did you…!? grr… I had to fight him to subdue him!" Ichigo hissed. "I wouldn't exactly call our constant antagonizing an alliance!"

"Well what do you expect when you're sharing a body?" Grimmjow replied. "There is no reason for such squabbles when two separate entities, one a hollow and the other a shinigami, form an alliance. But such things have been forgotten about for over two thousand years, because they are blamed as the reason Soul Society fell into chaos so long ago. Before that, however, some hollows fought along side the shinigami."

"Why would they? And how do you know all this?"

"Not all hollows are alike, Ichigo. You should know that! Of all the hollows you've fought, what percentage would you say were purified by the slice of your blade rather than being sent to hell!? Not all of us are 'evil,' some are just broken!" Grimmjow paused to take a steadying breath. "And I learned all of this when I was made an guardian. But I don't understand how it works, how this knowledge is passed down from generation to generation."

"What do you mean by 'guardian'?" Ichigo asked.

"I was never human," the Arrancar replied. "It usually takes a human's desire and pain in order for an animal to become a hollow, such as pets sensing their masters' loss and returning to continue to watch over them. And no, I don't know how that works either or who made me a hollow in the first place. I definitely know I was no one's damn pet, though."

"How old are you?"

"I'm not sure. I really don't have a very good sense of time. A few centuries at least, I think," Grimmjow replied. "Animals tend to think in seasons, not years."

"It makes sense, and I guess the whole animal thing explains why sometimes during battle your eyes light up with such unnaturally intense excitement," Ichigo grinned. "Sometimes I was surprised you didn't start squealing like a schoolgirl!"

"Careful what you say, shinigami," Grimmjow growled playfully. "I may be confined to this bed for the moment, but it won't last forever. Then it'll just be a matter of time before I get my revenge for such comments!"

There was a long pause in the conversation as the two took turns glaring and laughing at each other.

"Aizen disgusts me," Grimmjow said after their laughter had completely died down.

"You should see what he did to his fukutaicho, Hinamori Momo," Ichigo sighed, agreeing with the Arrancar. He then began to recount the events that had occurred up until the time when Aizen had left, and the impact the former shinigami captain's actions had made.


	3. Chapter 3

**Haunting the Panther**

**Warnings: **uh, nothing really for this chapter… a rather tame but frustrated Grimmjow is all. I hope he seems at least plausibly out-of-character.

**A/N: **I guess you could say that we start to get into why Grimmjow hasn't been executed by Yamamoto, but things aren't too detailed at this point. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you have any input or comments you'd like to share, it's always welcome and appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any of it… never will.

Grimmjow growled in pain and frustration. He was currently hobbling along side Abarai Renji on his fifth excursion out of his room in as many days. Ichigo had needed to go back to the human world and had asked the sixth division lieutenant to assist Grimmjow and be his Soul Society guide. The Arrancar was grateful for Renji's help, but at the same time he was quickly getting annoyed with how slowly his body was healing. Unohana-taicho assured Grimmjow that he was making incredible progress, yet the Arrancar felt painfully weak, which he absolutely hated.

Finally the pair made it to the fourth division's main doors, and Grimmjow stepped outside for the first time in a month and a half. He took a deep breath of the fresh, early-autumn air and sighed, pausing for a moment to rest against his IV stand.

"I didn't realize how badly the hospital smell in there burns my nostrils until now," the former Espada rubbed at his sinuses as Renji carefully released his hold around the other's waist.

"Unohana said she would be willing to remove your IV tomorrow if you promise not to over-exert yourself and get dehydrated," Abarai commented. "After that it shouldn't take too much to convince her to allow you to move somewhere else if you promise to behave yourself."

"Anywhere else would be fine by me as long as it's quieter at night," Grimmjow yawned. "I don't think I've gotten a decent night's rest since before I woke up eight days ago."

"Well that would automatically rule out the eighth, tenth, and eleventh divisions," Renji gave one of his broad, mischievous smiles. "They tend to have the most parties, what with Kyouraku-taicho, Matsumoto-fukutaicho, and almost the entire eleventh division being the instigators. Used to be bad in the third and ninth divisions as well, but Kira and Hisagi-senpai are so loaded down with paperwork that they don't get to party much anymore."

"Hmm, Kurosaki told me about Ichimaru being Kira's taicho and Tousen was Hisagi's," Grimmjow nodded. "Sounds like they would be nice and quiet, and if Yamamoto would allow it, perhaps I could give them a hand with some of the paperwork. I could use something to keep my mind occupied while I wait for my body to finish knitting itself back together."

"Both of them would appreciate the help seeing as Hinamori-chan still isn't up to performing her duties. Both Kira and Hisagi are doing three times the work of a normal fukutaicho," Renji agreed. "They've taken on her division's work along with their own, and none of us are sure if she'll ever be able to act as a shinigami again."

"Has Inoue done anything to try and help her?" Grimmjow inquired. "That girl is quite incredible with those powers of hers."

"You'd have to ask Unohana-taicho about that one," Renji thought for a moment. "I can't recall if Inoue has even met Hinamori in person."

They continued their conversation as Grimmjow unconsciously inched farther and farther away from the fourth division's main doors. Abarai Renji was surprised at how easy he found talking with the Arrancar to be. It was almost like talking with his friends from his academy days except for when he had to explain things to Grimmjow that were practically common knowledge to all shinigami.

"And what about your division?" the Arrancar broke into his thoughts. "From Kurosaki's descriptions, you sound like you'd be quite the party animal."

"I am, however, Kuchiki-taicho would skin me alive if I ever had another party in the sixth division," Renji began to smirk once again.

"I believe if three walls and half a dozen doors had not needed to be replaced the morning after your first party, he wouldn't be as opposed to the idea," came a new voice, "right, Byakuya-kun?"

"It's highly unlikely Abarai can get through a single party without causing some type of damage," the aforementioned Kuchiki responded.

"Kuchiki-taicho, Ukitake-taicho," Renji bowed in greeting to both.

Grimmjow looked the two captains over while gripping his IV stand in nervousness. He knew that both were nobles and that it was impolite not to bow. But at the moment, it was hard enough for him to just keep his body upright. He was also disgusted by the idea of bowing to anyone, noble or not. He could be polite, but that was taking it a little too far in his book.

And of course, each one was wearing a damn, white captain's haori. Grimmjow looked away as memories of Aizen once again flashed through his mind. 'Damn that bastard for making me paranoid!' Grimmjow thought to himself, growling softly under his breath.

"Is something wrong, Grimmjow-san?" Ukitake inquired. The Arrancar glanced at the gentle captain over the corner of his mask, embarrassment briefly flashing through his intense eyes.

"He's just a little frustrated that his body's taking so long to heal," Renji replied when it seemed Grimmjow was not going to answer.

"You did sustain some very severe damage, Grimmjow-san," Ukitake commented. "How long does it usually take your wounds to heal?"

"Depends on the type of wound, I guess," Grimmjow still refused to look directly at either captain now that he was done inspecting them. They were making him more nervous as the conversation went on. "I'm just not use to feeling so weak, especially once all of my external wounds appear to have healed."

"Perhaps if your reiatsu was unsealed you'd feel better," Ukitake suggested.

"I doubt that would be permissible considering what I am," the Arrancar sighed, adjusting his grip on the IV stand.

"I have seen no mention of it in any of the reports that have crossed my desk," Kuchiki-taicho spoke. "If there is a problem with unsealing your reiatsu, I will take the blame."

Renji's eyes widened at his captain's words, and Grimmjow could do nothing but stare as the noble stepped forward. Byakuya quickly performed the spell to release the former Espada's spiritual energies, causing them to explode like a geyser over the group. Renji collapsed, gasping for air, while Byakuya just barely managed to stay standing. Grimmjow quickly reined in his spiritual pressure, apologizing sincerely once it was back under his control.

"Don't worry about it, man," Renji tried to grin as he fought to catch his breath. "Feeling better now?"

"Yes, the weakness in my muscles seems more reasonable now," Grimmjow answered after a moment's assessment. The Arrancar carefully arched his back, stretching out the muscles pleasurably. "Thank you, Kuchiki-taicho, Ukitake-taicho."

"You're welcome, Grimmjow-san," Kuchiki-taicho replied.

The two captains then said farewell and proceeded on to the fourth division offices to visit with Unohana-taicho.

"Next thing you know, they'll be asking you to join them for tea," Renji chuckled once he was sure both captains were out of earshot.

"And why is that?" Grimmjow cocked an eyebrow.

"Curiosity mostly, although Kuchiki will ever admit to it. And Ukitake is just friendly like that," Renji shrugged. "You may not be of noble blood the way we think of it, but the fact that you were elected a king by other hollows bares some merit. In their noble minds it's only proper manners to invite you to tea."

"I might be more refined than what Kurosaki described me to be," Grimmjow looked like he couldn't decide whether to be disgusted or shocked, "but for me to have tea with nobles? I think that's pushing it a bit far…"

Renji laughed.

"Come on, let's head back inside," he suggested. "It's past lunch time anyway, and I know you're always hungry."

Grimmjow grunted his agreement and headed back towards the fourth division's main doors, this time with very little help from the sixth division lieutenant. Once they reached the Arrancar's private room, Renji disappeared for awhile to get food for the both of them. When he returned, the lieutenant sat down on the stool by Grimmjow's bedside and placed both meals on the wheeled table between them.

"You know, if the captains really do ask you to join them for tea sometime, you should go," Renji said as he began eating.

"Any particular reason why?" Grimmjow asked.

"Well it's just that when Kurosaki and I first brought you here, Yamamoto really didn't want to allow you to live," Renji replied. "Ichigo argued on your behalf, and although he never asked for any support, Kuchiki-taicho decided to back him in his arguments. No one has any idea why though."

"The backing of one noble spared my life?"

"Well, it started things, yes. Ukitake-taicho decided to support you as well once Kuchiki had made his opinion clear. And that led to Kyouraku-taicho's support too," Renji recounted. "After that Kenpachi decided he wanted you to live based on the fact that Ichigo said you're his favorite opponent. Kenpachi said, 'It would be a shame to throw away the best sparring partner the kid has had before letting the eleventh division test him out.' So you might want to avoid their barracks until you feel up to some hardcore sparring."

"So who should I try to avoid in the other divisions then?" Grimmjow asked.

"Kurotsuchi-taicho of twelfth division most definitely seeing as he would just love to dissect you. Soi Fong and Yamamoto grudgingly agreed to accept you, so it would be best not to do anything to get on their bad sides," Renji paused to think. "I don't know about Komamura. He's been pretty quiet about all this. However, seeing as you were at odds with Tousen, it might be best to avoid him. They were best friends before Tousen turned traitor."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind," Grimmjow nodded. "What about Hisagi-fukutaicho? Tousen was his captain after all."

"He's also one of my best friends," Renji smiled. "Hisagi's pretty ticked about what Aizen and Gin did to Momo and Izuru, so I don't think you'll have much trouble with him. You both have common ground in your hate for Aizen. In fact I think I'll introduce you to each other when he gets a spare moment."


	4. Chapter 4

**Haunting the Panther**

**Warnings: **nothing new, you know the routine. I hope Grimmjow's a little more in character at a few points in this chapter, but they still seem few and far between to me.

**Disclaimer:** If I didn't own it when I wrote the other chapters, what makes you think I would own it now?

Grimmjow sighed. It was the middle of the night, and once again he couldn't sleep. It wasn't so much that the noises echoing up and down the fourth division's halls were loud as much as it was the fact that they brought up bad memories for the Arrancar. Nights in Las Noches had always driven him crazy with sounds of victims screaming and moaning in Szayel's labs or Aizen's interrogation chambers. He had asked to have his private rooms relocated on several different occasions to escape the sounds, but he just couldn't get far enough away. Finally Grimmjow had taken to sleeping out in the desert, something Aizen neither understood nor appreciated. The former Espada had never liked to dwell on the reason why that was.

Grimmjow was never sure exactly what it was that made the sounds so terrible. He had never been outright tortured in the labs or the interrogation chambers. Perhaps it was the fact that some of his murdered followers had suffered such fates. Maybe it was just that the sounds prodded at his primal instincts and blood lust. He could never decide. All he knew is that they made him want to scream his throat raw from the top of the tallest building or hill in the area.

With another frustrated sigh, Grimmjow rolled off his bed and headed towards the door. His IV had been removed two days ago, and in the morning he was supposed to be moving into one of the other division's housing units, although he wasn't sure which one. He knew that he wouldn't be staying in any of the barracks, though. That decision had been made because he didn't particularly want to draw any extra attention to himself. It would be easier to be ignored amongst the less numerous officers than the unseated division members.

As he began to wander down the hallways, soft sobs broke through his thoughts, and he paused to listen to them. Somehow they reminded him of Inoue, although he couldn't remember ever witnessing her cry like this. With silent steps he made his way closer to the source of the sound, finally stopping outside of a room in a secluded corner of the complex. Peering inside he noted a figure sitting in the dark on a hospital bed, sobbing into her hands. Moonlight just barely shone through the cracks of the blinds over the window behind her, giving just enough illumination for Grimmjow's eyes. Silently he slipped into the room for a closer look.

"Hey, why are you crying?" Grimmjow's tone was bored as he watched the girl out of the corner of his eye.

She broke off in mid-sob, startled by the sudden, deep voice in the darkness. The young woman glanced up in the Arrancar's direction and watched him as he made his way over to the window.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" she stuttered, momentarily holding back her tears.

"Hn," Grimmjow glanced at her again, and then turned so she would see the moonlight glint off his mask. "My name is Grimmjow Jaegarjaques."

"Why are you here?" the girl asked, staring at the Arrancar with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"I was wounded in battle and have been healing," Grimmjow replied, hiding his mask in the darkness again. "I have been granted permission to stay here in Soul Society."

There was a long pause, the girl shifting uncomfortably.

"You never answered my question," Grimmjow yawned. "Also, what is your name?"

"Hinamori Momo," the girl whispered. "A-an-and I was crying b-b-be-because h-he left me."

"You mean Aizen, don't you?" Grimmjow glanced at her again. She nodded before burying her face in her hands. Again her shoulders began to shake with her sobs.

Grimmjow sighed and slipped over to the foot of the bed. He carefully curled himself on the end of it so that he could look up into Hinamori's eyes while his chin was resting on his hands.

"It's alright, Hinamori-chan. It's not worth crying over," he whispered.

"B-but I always d-did everything he asked of me," she cried softly. "I was a-al-always loyal to him!"

"I tried my best to serve him too, but he never thought much of me," Grimmjow replied. "He's different now, Hinamori-chan. Aizen's not the same man you knew, and you need to accept that. He'll never be that man again."

Hinamori shook her head forcefully, refusing to believe Grimmjow's words. The Arrancar sighed again, before nestling his head near the girl's feet.

"Your tears won't bring him back," he yawned.

* * *

Grimmjow awoke to the sensation of someone's head pillowed on his right shoulder blade and arms draped over him. It was warm and comfortable, and despite the line of sunlight cutting across his eyelids, he didn't feel like moving. As his partner began to stir, he purred gently, trying to encourage whoever it was to stay put. Unfortunately it was not to be.

"What the hell!" yelled a masculine voice behind him, severely startling his partner. Immediately there was a loss of weight and warmth from his upper back, and Grimmjow lifted his head to glare over his left shoulder at the cause of this loss.

What he found was a short, white-haired shinigami captain striding towards him. The Arrancar scrambled off the end of the hospital bed and away from the angry, young man, his mind once again running circles around memories of Aizen's invasion.

"Shit!" he hissed as his body met with the windowsill. The young captain was still moving in his direction, and he swore he felt the temperature of the room drop a few degrees. 'What the hell am I supposed to do?' Grimmjow thought to himself. 'If I defend myself, Yamamoto will end up executing me!'

"What do you think you're doing in here?" the captain demanded. Grimmjow couldn't answer; he hadn't meant to fall asleep on Hinamori's bed.

"Answer me!" the captain yelled again.

"Shiro-chan, don't!" Hinamori cut him off. Hitsugaya turned to her in question. "He didn't do anything. He heard me crying last night and came in to find out why."

"He didn't touch you or threaten you, did he?" Hitsugaya asked, his tone becoming gentler as he addressed his friend.

"No, all he did was try to get me to stop crying and then fall asleep on the foot of my bed," Hinamori moved to stand in between the two. "That's all he did."

Hitsugaya continued to glare at the Arrancar until another shinigami came into the room, interrupting the tension.

"There you are, Grimmjow-san. What are you doing out of your room? We've been looking everywhere for you," Hanataro announced. "Abarai-fukutaicho, Hisagi-fukutaicho, and Kira-fukutaicho are here to show you to your new residence." He then belatedly greeted Hinamori and Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya made a pained face. "Nothing good can come out of that combination," he sighed, looking over the Arrancar one last time before stepping aside to let him pass.

"Grimmjow-san?" Hinamori turned to him. "You'll come visit me again, right?"

He hesitated, glancing at the tenth division captain before answering, "If it's permissible."

"I suppose you can," Hitsugaya conceded, "as long as you do nothing to upset her."

The former Espada nodded his in understanding as Hinamori hugged him before allowing Grimmjow to leave. The Arrancar hesitantly returned the embrace with one arm and then slipped past the captain and lieutenant to follow Hanataro back to his own room.

"And where have you been?" Renji asked as Grimmjow stepped into the room. Hanataro slipped away to look for Hisagi and Kira. The Arrancar flopped down on his bed face first before answering.

"Couldn't sleep last night and went wandering around the halls," came the muffled replied. "I ended up in Hinamori's room, and Hitsugaya-taicho just gave me a wake-up call that I really don't want to repeat ever again."

"What, did he hit you with a kidou or something?" Renji asked.

"No," Grimmjow replied, stretching as he rolled over. "I was just afraid he was going to ice my ass and there would have been nothing I could have done about it."

"Oh, well that would have been okay," Renji smiled. "We've decided that we're going to take you to spend a day at the hot springs to celebrate your release from the fourth's healing wing."

"Whose side are you on here?" Grimmjow cocked an eyebrow at the comment.

"What? I know you're a cat, but after spending so long living in that damn desert I would think even you'd enjoy a good soak in a hot spring," Renji frowned.

"I'm not against the water," Grimmjow replied. "I just don't like the idea of you using my icy misfortune as an excuse to go soak your ass!"

Renji was about to lose his temper with the Arrancar until he noted an odd glimmer in the other's eyes. Could Grimmjow be more sensitive than his bad ass attitude and don't-give-a-damn demeanor indicated? Renji stepped over to lay a hand on the other's shoulder only to have Grimmjow jerk away from him with a snarl and flash of fangs.

"Sorry, Grimm, I didn't mean it like that," Renji whispered to the Arrancar's back.

"Perhaps not, Abarai, but there's something you don't get," Grimmjow growled. "I'm cornered here! You shinigami can do whatever the hell you want to me, and if I so much as lift a single finger to defend myself, Yamamoto could put me to death for it!"

"Then why stay?" the sixth division lieutenant stepped around the bed so he could look into Grimmjow's face.

"What other choice do I have?" the Arrancar asked. "If I leave this place, I put myself back within Aizen's reach. The bastard allowed my arm to be hacked off just for his damn amusement, Abarai! If your captain did something like that to you, would you stay here in Soul Society?!"

Grimmjow was quivering with the force of his anger as he once again cradled his left arm to his chest in a protective manner. And for the first time, Renji also spotted a hint of fear glimmering in his intense eyes.

"Hey, man, just relax," Renji sat down beside Grimmjow on the bed. "If you can't defend yourself, then I will, okay? And others will too. There was enough injustice that occurred here right before Aizen left. We aren't going to tolerate it anymore, and that includes taking care of you."

"I'm just sick of being treated like a damn, expendable toy," the Arrancar said as he began to calm down. Again Renji reached out to place a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder, and this time he allowed the hand to stay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Haunting the Panther**

**Warnings: **nothing new… although we do have four naked guys horse playing in the hot springs in this chapter.

**A/N: **I'm still not completely satisfied with this chapter even after rewriting it three times. But at this point I don't think I can make it any better without completely scrapping the basic concepts behind it.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I still don't own it.

The hot springs were fairly empty at this time in the morning, because most of the Gotei thirteen's members were either in their offices or doing morning training exercises. The three lieutenants had already submerged themselves up to their shoulders in the relaxing waters. Grimmjow was sitting near the edge of the pool, his feet in the water, while carefully inspecting what was left of his stab wound after having washed it in the changing rooms. Finally he sighed, pushing himself off the ledge and into the warm waters. He had another scar marking him as being weaker than Kurosaki Ichigo, and he was not happy about the way it reminded him that he owed the shinigami his life. As he made his way farther into the pool, the Arrancar noticed that Hisagi, Kira, and Abarai were all staring at him with curiosity.

"What?" he asked roughly. None of the men seemed to hear him; all were watching the water flowing through his hollow hole. Grimmjow crossed his arms over his chest, scowling, and waited for them to break out of their staring trance.

Kira was the first to break his eyes away from the hole and look into Grimmjow's face. The blonde's eyes widened, and he quickly elbowed his two companions to get their attention. Both gave him an annoyed glance before also noticing the Arrancar's scowl.

"What the hell was that about?" Grimmjow asked.

"I guess we were just wondering what it's like to have water flowing through you like that," Renji rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Hn," the former Espada snorted before smiling at the three. "Irritating is the best way to describe it, I guess. It's similar to getting water in your ears; annoying but tolerable as long as you stay submerged."

"You can't blame us for being curious," Renji splashed water at the Arrancar. "How are we supposed to know? It's not like we've ever had the time to ask such a question to a Hollow before seeing as they're usually trying to kill us!"

Grimmjow laughed as he splashed back, "So now I'm going to have to be the one to answer all of your questions and satisfy your curiosity. No wonder you guys let me live!"

The four started moving away from the edge of the springs as a water battle began to break out. It quickly intensified when Hisagi decided to dunk Renji, with Kira egging him on. Renji immediately turned on the ninth division lieutenant once he was free and a wrestling match broke out. It ended only when Renji got his revenge by dunking Hisagi in return. The three lieutenants laughed heartily until they noticed Grimmjow was missing.

"Do you think we may have scared him off with our rowdiness?" Kira asked.

"Nah, nothing scares that guy," Renji replied, glancing around.

"Still, we may have made him a bit uncomfortable," Hisagi ran a hand through his hair.

Suddenly he felt something wrap around his waist and pull him off his feet. Renji yelped as the same thing happened to him. Both men's eyes went wide as they found themselves being lifted out of the water by Grimmjow. The Arrancar twisted them around 180 degrees before slamming all three of their bodies down, backs first, into the water. When the two lieutenants resurfaced, coughing and sputtering, Grimmjow was again nowhere to be found.

"If that's the type of strength he has when he's still healing, I don't think I want to know what he's like at full power," Hisagi gasped. "He lifted both of us clear out of the water like it was nothing!"

Kira yelped when he felt two arms wrap around him from behind. But instead of dunking him, Grimmjow simply began dragging him around the pool while swimming on his back. After a few moments Kira relaxed, and Grimmjow took him back to Hisagi and Renji, releasing him gently.

The sixth and ninth divisions' lieutenants glanced at each other before a mischievous smirk formed on both their faces.

"Let's get him!" Renji grinned as both men leaped towards the Arrancar. Grimmjow dodged effortlessly.

"You're going to have to catch me first!" he laughed, swimming away from them. Hisagi, Kira, and Renji began the pursuit eagerly until Grimmjow ducked under the water. Again the Arrancar seemed to disappear into nothing.

"Where the hell did he go?" Hisagi was looking around almost frantically. A sudden yell from Renji caused him to whip his head to the left only to find the redhead flailing his arms in the water. Grimmjow had yanked both his ankles out from under him and out of the water, a wicked grin plastered across his face. Then the Arrancar disappeared again from sight.

Hisagi began making his way over to Renji, but before he got to the other man, something latched onto his ankle. He had just enough time to take in a breath before he was pulled under and dragged a few meters away from the other two lieutenants. When his ankle was finally released, he felt Grimmjow pick him up completely out of the water to dunk him a second time. Then the Arrancar swam off with a laugh.

Grimmjow didn't even try to hide himself as he went after Kira for a final time. He swam straight towards the blonde-haired lieutenant who frantically tried to get away. But Grimmjow was a much faster swimmer and easily caught up to the man, pouncing on his back to send him under. When they both resurfaced, Kira was clinging to the Arrancar, coughing and gasping for air. Grimmjow waited patiently for him to catch his breath.

"Kira, would you mind letting go of my hollow hole? Your grip's a bit painful," he asked.

"Sorry," the third division lieutenant blushed as he released his death grip on the hole's edge near Grimmjow's tattoo.

"Much better," the former Espada yawned as he rubbed at the spot. All three lieutenants were surprised to hear the Arrancar start to purr as he sank up to his neck in the water, eyelids drooping, still lightly holding onto Kira.

"What the hell are you staring at?" Grimmjow said through his purring. "Is a healing cat not allowed to be tired after a bit of play? I was swimming laps around you three like it was nothing."

"Come on," Kira smiled as he took hold of the Arrancar's wrists. "Let's at least get you propped up against a wall before you drown yourself."

Grimmjow allowed Kira to pull him through the water, doing the absolute minimum to maintain neutral buoyancy. When they reached the wall, the Arrancar folded his arms on top of it to provide a pillow for his head. Kira settled down on his right, and Hisagi and Renji positioned themselves on either side of their two companions.

"So you still haven't told me which division has decided to adopt me yet, Abarai," Grimmjow yawned.

"Well, actually there's been a small change in plans," Renji nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Kuchiki-taicho has decided he wants you to stay at his estate."

Grimmjow cocked an eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder at the sixth division lieutenant, "Does this mean Yamamoto did not approve for me to do paperwork?"

"No, you'll be working out of the fifth division's offices since they're practically right next door to the sixth division," Renji replied. "You'll be traveling back and forth to the offices with Kuchiki-taicho."

Grimmjow sighed, "Did your captain give a reason for wanting me to stay at his estate?"

"No," Renji shrugged. "He rarely gives me or anyone else reasons for what he does."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Grimmjow yawned again. "He does realize that I'm probably going to be a pain in his noble ass, right?"

"I pointed that out to him repeatedly," Renji admitted.

"Well as long as he's prepared for it," the Arrancar replied. "I'm not going to 'refine' myself just to please a damn shinigami noble. He gets me as is."

They let the conversation drop after that, and the four enjoyed the warmth of the hot springs in silence. After awhile Hisagi and Kira noticed that Grimmjow had fallen into a sound sleep.

"He's so different from what I was expecting," Hisagi commented, glancing over the Arrancar's head at Renji. "And I can't get over the fact that that is his natural hair color."

"Shuuhei!" Renji hissed. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"Who said it was in the gutter," Hisagi gave an indignant glare. "I was just wondering about it and happened to look."

"Whatever you say, senpai," Renji rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what's so different about him compared to what you thought he would be like? I told you he wasn't as rough as Kurosaki's reports made him out to be."

"I guess it's just that he seems friendlier than what I was expecting," Hisagi answered, "and more playful."

"He was always playful," Renji smirked. "It's just that his games use to be a lot deadlier than they are now."

"It's hard to believe how gentle he can be when you consider that fact," Kira noted, running a hand through Grimmjow's powder blue hair. The Arrancar purred at the contact.

"Okay, I can accept him being gentle on occasion, but that's just weird," Hisagi said in response to the purring. Kira laughed softly as he continued to stroke Grimmjow's hair, helping it to dry.

The Arrancar muttered in his sleep, and the three lieutenants halted their conversation to try to hear what he was saying. Most of the words were incoherent and growled, but they did make out Aizen's, Tousen's, and Ichimaru's names surrounded by threatening tones. Another low, angry growl irrupted from deep within Grimmjow's throat before a series of whimpers and pleading tones emerged, the Arrancar ducking his head deeper into the curve of his arms.

Kira stood up when he felt Grimmjow shaking and quickly began to rouse him, whispering words of comfort into his ear. Finally the Arrancar sat up with a start, his back connecting solidly with Kira's chest but not knocking him over.

"It was just a dream, Grimmjow," Kira placed his hands on the former Espada's shoulders, steadying him.

"No," Grimmjow whispered. "It wasn't."

With that the Arrancar stood and stepped out of the hot spring. He headed for the changing rooms without another word, leaving the three friends to look at each other in confusion and concern. Finally they too left the warm water to change back into their uniforms. It was just about lunch time anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **eh, nothing new… Grimm still is OOC.

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, wonderful people. Between putting in extra days on my internship and going on a bit of a Naruto reading binge, I've been a little distracted lately. I hope you'll forgive me and maybe leave a review to keep me motivated… otherwise I might get really distracted! (I have way too many favorite characters from Naruto!) Anyway, this chapter gives a bit of a teaser as far as what happened to Grimmjow goes… hope you all enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** Maybe someday I'll own something in print/on film… but it sure as hell isn't going to be Bleach!

Kuchiki Byakuya watched emotionlessly as three lieutenants and an Arrancar approached his family's mansion through the front gate. In spite of his usual outer calm, his mind was swirling with the force of a hurricane as he once again debated with himself over his decision. Grimmjow was going to be a disruption to the carefully maintained peace and quiet of his estate, something he strove very hard to keep intact. Yet for some odd reason, he found himself longing for such disruption, and his self-contradiction was frustrating him no end.

"Kuchiki-taicho," Renji greeted Byakuya with his typical, cocky grin.

"Abarai," the sixth division captain acknowledged in his typical monotone.

Grimmjow eyed the noble nervously. Yes, he had already encountered this man since he had woken up in the fourth division's healing wing, but that meant little to him right now. Kuchiki Byakuya was wearing the dreaded captain's haori again, and the Arrancar had to restrain himself from growling out of learned habit at seeing said article of clothing. He knew Byakuya noticed his momentary struggle, but the noble did nothing to address it.

"If the four of you would follow me, lunch is waiting in the gardens," Kuchiki announced as he turned towards the front door of his mansion. Hisagi, Kira, Abarai, and Grimmjow followed him, removing their sandals at the threshold before making their way through the mansion to the gardens behind it.

As the five sat down around a low table to begin their meal, Grimmjow quietly made observations of the garden and mansion around him. The mansion itself was quite different from what he had anticipated. It did not have the strange, looming sense that he had half expected; in fact, it was rather welcoming. Unlike its cold, stoic master, the Kuchiki estate had a soft touch to it, making the Arrancar feel as if he was in the middle of a sanctuary. The gardens accented the main building beautifully, providing a lush robe of rich greens and colorful blooms for the mansion to nest in. Birds sang from the trees, and the sound of a light breeze weaving through the leaves and branches lulled the former Espada into a trance-like state as he ate quietly, ignoring the conversation taking place around him. His eyelids began to droop slowly, and before he even knew what was happening, Grimmjow was asleep.

Kira glanced over in surprise when he felt the Arrancar slump against his shoulder. The blonde laughed lightly as he put down his chopsticks and pulled Grimmjow into a more comfortable position. The other began purring almost immediately at Kira's touch.

"I'm beginning to think he likes you, Izuru-kun," Renji smirked.

"Why? Just because he purrs when I touch him?" Kira replied. "Have you ever touched him when he's been asleep?"

"Well, no," Renji admitted.

"Then how do you know he wouldn't purr for just anyone?" Kira asked.

Hisagi reached over and ran a hand up the Arrancar's spine and into his hair. Grimmjow's purring became fainter momentarily before dying away altogether. Renji's smirk grew, and he laughed softly.

"I think that proves my point," the redhead grinned.

Kira blushed slightly, "Maybe he just feels safer with me. It doesn't mean anything."

"Perhaps it doesn't," Hisagi agreed. "But even if it does mean something, that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"If he trusts you, he'll most likely talk to you more about private matters," Kuchiki added. "It may be that you'll learn a bit of information from him that we never thought to ask about and he never thought to tell us."

"But passing such information on would betray that trust," Kira replied.

"You could always try to talk him into passing it on himself," Kuchiki pointed out.

Kira began eating again as he pondered over the idea and how he might go about it. Grimmjow shifted against the lieutenant as he stretched out his legs and rolled over slightly. The Arrancar was now settled on his back with his head in Kira's lap. The blonde absentmindedly draped an arm over the other's chest, holding him gently while he fell into a deeper sleep.

"Looks like he thinks you make a good pillow, Izuru-kun," Renji smiled. "You might have to stay the night."

"I doubt he'll sleep that long," Kira glanced up at the redhead, grinning in return. "Of course, you're the one that Kurosaki-san asked to look out for him. Technically you're the one who should stay and be his pillow."

"He's already asleep on your lap, though," Renji's smile turned wicked.

"Kira-san does have a good point, Abarai-san," Kuchiki noted. "Kurosaki-san did leave you in charge. And if you did stay, it would allow me to make sure you were on time to the office for once."

Renji's smile immediately fell as he stared at his captain. He didn't know what to say. Staying at the Kuchiki estate would be torture for him, but he didn't know how to get out of it in a way that wouldn't offend Byakuya. The redhead turned his gaze to his food, his mind working furiously to come up with an excuse as he continued to eat.

Both Kira and Hisagi knew how uncomfortable and nervous Renji felt when he was forced to stay at his captain's estate by himself. Both of them had immediately begun smirking when Kuchiki had supported Kira's opinion. As soon as Renji wasn't looking, Kuchiki gave the other two lieutenants a slight grin, indicating that he too knew of the redhead's discomfort. Kira and Hisagi burst out laughing.

Renji's head snapped up to find out what was so funny. When he noticed Byakuya's barely-there smirk, the redhead's eyes widened considerably. After his initial shock dissipated, he growled as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"How long have you known?" Renji asked his captain, hanging his head.

"Since the first time I invited you to have tea with me, Abarai-san," Byakuya's smirk turned into an equally subtle smile. "Your anxiety is always so easy to read that it was hard for me not to notice."

"Taicho, I…"

Byakuya cut off his lieutenant with a raised hand, "It's alright, Abarai. There's nothing wrong with it. Rukia was the same way when she first came here."

Renji glanced up at this.

"She only began to truly feel at home here after I had her take me to your old neighborhood and show me around a bit. She was much more relaxed after she had told me about her childhood and how the two of you grew up together. I know where you've come from, Abarai, and in my opinion, it's made you into a better man than what you would have been if you'd have been raised as I was. You're stronger because of it."

"Thank you, taicho," Renji nodded, smiling at the rare compliment.

The four men continued to talk quietly as they finished their meal. Grimmjow slept on, the earlier outburst of laughter not having disturbed his slumber in the least. Hisagi and Abarai left after the meal was over, leaving Kira with Byakuya and the sleeping Arrancar in the gardens. The blonde remained very relaxed in the company of the noble and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere the gardens provided.

As the two sat together, quietly sipping tea, Grimmjow began mumbling in his sleep as he had at the hot springs. Byakuya raised an elegant eyebrow while Kira focused all of his attention on the Arrancar. The blonde hoped that maybe he would learn more about the former Espada than he had during the first episode. Once again the majority of Grimmjow's words were unintelligible, but Aizen's, Ichimaru's, and Tousen's names came up frequently. Angry growls and hisses soon accompanied the words, slowly building in intensity.

A sudden yelp heralded a series of frightened whimpers, and after a moment, Grimmjow had his upper body wrapped securely around Kira's waist with his face buried in the lieutenant's stomach. Kira blushed slightly as he looked in Byakuya's direction. The captain shrugged at him and continued to watch and listen to the Arrancar's distress. The blonde also focused back on Grimmjow, wrapping an arm about his shaking shoulders. The former Espada's word were even more unintelligible now that his voice was muffled by the lieutenant's clothing, but the two shinigami could clearly tell that Aizen's and Ichimaru's names had become more frequently spoken.

Finally Kira couldn't stand to listen to the Arrancar's distress any longer and began to rouse him from his nightmarish sleep. Grimmjow was slow to wake, and as he did so, Kira could feel him tightening his hold. After several long moments, Grimmjow peeked up at Kira over the corner of his mask, the majority of his face still buried against the blonde's stomach. The intense, blue eye was haunted and sad. The former Espada gave a tired sigh as he slowly sat up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kira asked. Grimmjow stared at him for a long, hard moment before leaning forward and wrapping the blonde in a tight hug.

"Ichimaru used to tell me things," he whispered, "while he did things."

The Arrancar pulled back enough to glance into Kira's eyes again. He could tell that the third division lieutenant knew exactly what he meant by the frightened and concerned look on the other's face. Carefully he leaned forward to whisper once again in the blonde's ear.

"Do not ask me about it again until you're ready to face both our demons," the words were not harsh and angry as Kira half expected. Instead they seemed to be a promise, and he suddenly realized why Grimmjow appeared to favor him over the others. It wasn't that the Arrancar trusted him more. It was that they had common ground that no one else did.

Kira held onto Grimmjow a little tighter, sighing softly. After a moment Grimmjow spoke again. "Don't let anyone look down upon you, Kira Izuru. I don't. We are stronger than them because of what they've done to us. We will get our revenge."


	7. Chapter 7

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **Well, Grimmjow's language in this chapter, and the usual.

**A/N: **eh, not much to say this time around. Grimm's gotta work in this chapter, but hopefully he's a bit more in character at some points here. Again reviews are always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Thanks to all the wonderful people who are reading this story still!

**Disclaimer:** Again, I still don't own Grimmjow or Bleach… and I can guarantee that I still won't own it when I post the next chapter. These things get very redundant, but you already knew that.

As Grimmjow and Byakuya walked towards the fifth division's offices, the sixth division captain had explained briefly what the bulk of the paperwork would be like that Grimmjow was expected to go over. The majority of it would be different status reports on the division, perhaps some medical and accident reports on individual members, and the typical expenditure requests and order forms for new supplies. Most of the division transfer requests resulting from Aizen's betrayal had been sorted out months ago, so Kuchiki didn't expect that Grimmjow would be seeing any of those. Basically Grimmjow would be required to fill out the appropriate forms and sign off on different papers, acknowledging that the requests and reports had been approved.

As they stepped into the fifth's main office, a dark-haired shinigami looked up from a desk with curious eyes, "Kuchiki-taicho, to what may I attribute the pleasure of your visit here this morning?"

"You are the third-seat officer of this division?" Byakuya asked. The man nodded. "Very well. I am here to inform you that the Arrancar, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, has volunteered his time to the fifth division and will be positioned as acting captain until further notification."

"Captain?" Grimmjow stared at Byakuya in complete shock.

"From yours and Kurosaki's descriptions, captain is the basic equivalent to your former position as an Espada under Aizen," Byakuya replied with an impassive tone. "Yamamoto-soutaicho is the one who decided to put you in this position. We are rather short on captains at this time, so please fill the position to the best of your ability."

With that, Byakuya turned and headed down the hallway towards his own division's buildings. Grimmjow stared after him for a moment, and then turned to the third-seat officer.

"Well then let's start out with a breakdown of the division's schedule for today," Grimmjow requested.

"Uh, well… all of the unseated members are at breakfast right now while the seated officers are in their offices. After breakfast, the officers will be leading morning warm-ups before beginning daily combat training in about two hours. That will last until lunch at noon," the third-seat replied while staring at the Arrancar. "After lunch is an hour of free time for the division members while the officers go back to their offices to do paperwork. After free time is up, the members will go to afternoon training to work on whatever techniques have been assigned to them by their unit leaders. That will last until dinner at 6 o'clock."

"Hn," Grimmjow nodded to acknowledge that he understood before sitting down at the desk beside him to get started on the paperwork.

"Does the entire division work on combat training together or do they break down into their individual units?" the Arrancar sounded only half interested, but the third-seat was still quick to reply.

"Morning training routines are always done together. They only break down into units after lunch."

Again Grimmjow grunted his acknowledgement before focusing his full attention on the paperwork. He discovered shortly that none of it was very difficult, although he could understand how most humans would find it quite tedious. After the long, boring days and nights he had spent in Las Noches, however, nothing seemed tedious to him anymore. By the time the third-seat officer rose to go attend to the morning warm-ups, the former Espada had already gone through a significant chunk of the day's paperwork.

After working for another two hours, Grimmjow decided to take a short break. He was just over halfway done with the stack of reports and miscellaneous forms. The division members would be in the middle of their morning training, so he decided to go and watch them for a bit. Yesterday Byakuya and Kira had explained that the basic layout of all the divisions' buildings was the same, which meant finding the central training yard of the fifth would be fairly simple.

After wandering around the buildings for a few minutes, Grimmjow stood at one of several entrances to the main training courtyard. The men were practicing their sword maneuvers, all standing in neat rows spaced far enough apart to avoid running into one another. The Arrancar leaned back against a post, observing quietly so as not to alert the men to his presence yet.

After about fifteen minutes, one of the seated officers called for a ten minute break. At this Grimmjow pushed off the post and lazily began striding through the rows of shinigami to where the officers were standing. Some of them seemed startled by the Arrancar's presence. Others glared. None of them, however, moved to raise their weapons against him.

"Grimmjow-san," the third-seated officer greeted the former Espada when the other halted next to him.

"Hn," came the expected, acknowledging grunt. "How long have they been training like this?"

"They've always trained like this, sir," the officer replied.

"They're sloppy," Grimmjow glanced over the men and women appraisingly. "Their movements are slow in response to commands. They don't hold their angles properly. Many of them leave themselves wide open for a counter-attack. You think the Arrancar won't exploit these weaknesses?"

None of the seated officers would answer or look him in the eyes. Grimmjow gave a low growl of disapproval.

"When was the last time they had a day off?" he asked, looking over the shinigami again.

"Not since Aizen's betrayal," the third-seat whispered.

Grimmjow glared up at the sky with a sigh. After a moment he looked once again at the unseated shinigami in front of him.

"You there," he pointed to a brown-haired male a few meters away. "I want you to attack me."

"Sir?" he stared in confusion.

"I told you to fucking attack me," Grimmjow growled. "Now do it! Draw your fucking blade and bloody attack me!"

The man still hesitated for a moment, but then did as instructed, charging at the Arrancar with his zanpakutou drawn. Grimmjow easily deflected the blade bared-handed, pushing in downward with one hand while latching on to the man's arm with the other. The former Espada twisted the shinigami around effortlessly until the smaller man's back was against his chest, and he had his long fingers wrapped around the other's throat. The shinigami squeaked in surprise as he heard his blade clatter to the ground, Grimmjow having painfully wrenched it out of his grasp.

"Now, would you care to know what you just did wrong?" the Arrancar growled.

"Yes, sir," the man answered quickly, his throat still trapped in the former Espada's grip. Grimmjow released him and picked up his zanpakutou from the ground, handing it back to him.

"We'll begin with your initial blade position seeing as you at least did a proper approach for a frontal attack," Grimmjow took hold of the man's wrist in one hand and his blade with the other. "First off position your blade like this, edge here and your arms as so." Grimmjow directed the shinigami's positioning. "Now, when you swing, bring the angle of the blade out like this, but position your arms at this angle." Again Grimmjow moved the man's blade and arms, bringing the other's zanpakutou towards him. "And your recoil should go back like this to set you up for a variety of second attacks. Never let your blade move beyond this point or you leave yourself open to attack. And don't get lazy with the positioning of your elbows." Grimmjow positioned the man again, pointing out the danger zones afterwards with a free hand. "These movements need to be quick yet controlled. Dropping your defenses just to gain a little speed on a sloppy attack will only get you killed. Control before speed. Speed comes with practice, which is why you're out here every day. Now, attack me again."

The man nodded, retreating a little ways before charging at the Arrancar again. This time his initial attack succeeded in scoring a long slash on Grimmjow's right forearm. Following the former Espada's instructions on limiting his swing, the shinigami's second attack also managed to leave a small slice on Grimmjow's left hand before he once again found himself at the Arrancar's mercy, this time face down on the ground.

"Hmm, much better," Grimmjow acknowledged before letting the man up. The shinigami walked back to his spot after the Arrancar dismissed him. Grimmjow turned back to the seated officers.

"For the rest of the morning break them down into their units to work on their afternoon assignments," the former Espada instructed with a glare. "Tomorrow morning I will be re-teaching the eight of you basic sword positions which you will then pass on to them in the afternoon. The unseated division members will have tomorrow morning off. Any questions?"

"What are they to do this afternoon?" a pale-haired female asked timidly.

"That is up to your discretion," Grimmjow hissed. "Just DO NOT allow them to practice any more incorrect sword maneuvers."

Grimmjow walked away, growling in obvious frustration and annoyance as he made his way back through the ranks of the fifth division. Many of the shinigami he passed by shied away from him slightly, the inhuman rumbling of the Arrancar's chest sounding ominous to their ears.

As he stepped back into the fifth division's main office, Grimmjow finally noticed that his wounds were still bleeding freely. He quickly cleaned the cuts in the attached bathroom before binding the slash on his arm haphazardly with a fresh roll of bandages. He left the cut on his hand unbound for now. He reasoned that he could use the wounds as an excuse to go visit Hinamori Momo over in the fourth division's healing wing during his lunch break.

Sighing, Grimmjow slipped out of the bathroom and back to his desk, beginning once again on the paperwork. With luck he would have it completed by lunchtime, leaving him free in the afternoon to go and check up on the units again after their free time was over. Focusing his attention to the task at hand, the Arrancar quickly went back to sighing documents and filling out forms.

It was just as he was sighing and dating the last form that the third-seat officer stepped back into the office.

"Um, Grimmjow-san," his voice was timid, "there's someone here to see you, sir."

The Arrancar glanced up, noting the familiar face of the young man standing in the doorway behind the officer.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, it's good to see you again," Grimmjow greeted, putting down his pen and folding his arms across the top of the desk.

"I was wondering if you'd care to join me for lunch with Hinamori-fukutaicho and Unohana-taicho over in the fourth division?" the silver-haired prodigy inquired.

"It would be a pleasure," Grimmjow ended on a short purr. He then lifted up his bandaged right arm, "I was planning on heading over there to get this wrapped up better anyway."


	8. Chapter 8

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **Nothing new… same old OOC problems, particularly with Grimmjow again in this chapter.

**A/N: **I really don't like this chapter, but I'm posting it anyway. I don't mind constructive criticism, actually I'd kind of appreciated it at this point. I blame this chapter on being too busy and distracted to actually spend long blocks of time on it. (People yapping at me about inconsequential things while I'm trying to write has just become my newest, biggest pet peeve!)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything dealing with Bleach. (sigh)

"What happened to you?" Hitsugaya asked as he and Grimmjow settled into a corner of the fourth division's healing wing. Hanataro was currently fetching the necessary supplies to patch up the Arrancar, while Unohana was busy making sure their lunch was set up to perfection in Hinamori's private suite.

"I was making a point on proper form used in sword techniques," Grimmjow grumbled. "The fifth division's members are sloppy with their zanpakutous."

"Did anyone else get hurt?" the silver-haired prodigy cocked an eyebrow.

"Perhaps their pride was bruised," the Arrancar grinned wickedly, "but no one else was physically harmed."

A moment later Hanataro returned with the needed medical supplies to treat the former Espada's wounds. The slight, dark-haired shinigami carefully began unwrapping the injured arm and examined the sword slash. Grimmjow watched him with his chin propped in his free hand, eyelids half-closed in patient observation.

"It's going to need stitches, Grimmjow-san," Hanataro said as he began to clean the wound with iodine. The Arrancar shrugged, continuing to observe the other's work. After a moment, Hanataro reached for a syringe and a vial filled with a local anesthetic.

"Don't bother with it," Grimmjow stopped the seventh-seat officer. "I don't need that shit. I've gone through worse."

"But Grimmjow-san I don't want you to be unnecessarily pained," Hanataro tried to argue.

"Trust me, waiting for that shit to wear off will be much more of a pain," Grimmjow bared his teeth at the vial in disgusted.

Hanataro continued to hold the bottle and syringe for a moment, looking over the Arrancar's face, before finally setting them down. Without another word, the healer prepared a needle and began to stitch the wound shut. Grimmjow never gave any indication that he even felt the stitches going into his skin and simply kept watching Hanataro tend to him. Once he was done putting in the stitches, Hanataro examined the wound to the back of the Arrancar's other hand. The healer decided that a few butterfly strips would suffice to close the smaller cut.

Once Grimmjow's wounds were treated, he and Hitsugaya parted ways with Hanataro and headed for Hinamori's room. When they arrived, they found the fifth division lieutenant speaking softly with Unohana-taicho as they waited for the two males.

"Grimmjow-san, you came back," Hinamori smiled in greeting.

"I said I would, didn't I?" the Arrancar sat down on one side of the lieutenant as Hitsugaya made his way to her other side. Hinamori reached over to take hold of Grimmjow's hand and pull the former Espada into a hug. Grimmjow purred to her as she tucked his powder-blue hair under her chin.

"I'm glad you came to visit," the lieutenant said. "I had heard you're helping out my division."

"I'm doing paperwork and helping with some of the daily training," Grimmjow replied, glancing up at Hitsugaya's face. The Arrancar was unsure how Hinamori would take it if he admitted to being the fifth's temporary captain, and he wasn't about to say anything that may upset her while in the icy prodigy's presence.

Grimmjow continued to purr as Hinamori held him close. As she began talking with Hitsugaya, she began petting the Arrancar's head and back. The tenth division captain watched this for a little while before he finally had to say something.

"Momo-chan, you're petting him like a cat," Hitsugaya quirked an eyebrow at the two.

"Oh, sorry, Grimmjow-san," Hinamori began to release her hold on the former Espada.

"Don't apologize, Hinamori-fukutaicho," Grimmjow stayed snuggled against her, still purring. "I was enjoying it. And for your information, Hitsugaya-taicho, I am a cat, a jaguar to be exact."

"I didn't think large cats could purr," Hitsugaya stared at him.

"They can't really," Grimmjow replied. "It's a little addition I was given when I was made an Arrancar."

"Aizen gave you your purr?" Hinamori looked down into his intensely blue eyes.

"Uh, yeah… he thought it'd be 'cute,' I guess," Grimmjow didn't want to talk about the man in Hinamori's company, once again afraid of upsetting her.

"You don't like him much, do you?" Hinamori asked.

"He never really liked me all that much," Grimmjow really wanted to get off this topic, not enjoying having to sugarcoat the whole thing. Hitsugaya seemed to note his distress and decided to change the topic.

"You know, Momo-chan, Grimmjow is acting as the temporary captain for your division," the prodigy announced, "and Kuchiki-taicho is currently housing him as an honored guest."

Grimmjow's eyes grew wide with fright before the Arrancar gave the icy, tenth-division captain a death glare. He was afraid Hinamori would hate him for trying to replace her beloved captain, and he didn't want to stress her in her fragile state of mind. As the room fell silent, Grimmjow braced himself for the anticipated outburst from Hinamori. Her hands had disappeared from his head and back, and he sensed all of her muscles tensed as he continued to quietly lean across her lap. He was completely frozen, unable to breathe and no longer purring.

"Does Yamamoto-soutaicho know about this?" Hinamori whispered softly. Grimmjow cringed.

"Yes, he does," Unohana informed her. "He's the one who made the decision, and he announced it at the last captains' meeting."

Grimmjow had almost forgotten that the gentle fourth-division captain was even there. He was currently very grateful for her presence, however, feeling that her healing abilities would be necessary to treat him after Hinamori 'kidoued' his ass into the ground.

"We are short by three captains, Momo-chan," Hitsugaya added. "Yamamoto needs to do something to remedy that before it weakens the entire Gotei 13."

After another eternal moment had passed, Grimmjow felt Hinamori wrap her arms around him once more. At first he tensed up, shivering slightly in fear. But then when he felt the lieutenant pull him closer, he leaned into her deeper and began purring again. The Arrancar soon noticed a new sensation that he concluded was Hinamori burying her face in his hair when he felt her breath ghost over his right ear.

"Grimmjow," Hinamori whispered his name so sweetly his heart would have melted if he had possessed one.

"You're not mad, are you?" the Arrancar voiced his fear as he purred harder.

"Not with you," she replied, rubbing his back and side. "You just can't sit here idle forever, and I do appreciate you helping out my division. I just don't want a new captain."

"Thank you, Hinamori-fukutaicho," Grimmjow's eyes slipped shut, and he felt himself beginning to drift off in the sweet woman's arms.

"I believe we should eat before our handsome cat falls asleep completely," Unohana announced as she watched the Arrancar with amusement.

"Hn," Grimmjow grunted, giving the fourth division captain an annoyed look with half-lidded eyes. Unohana laughed lightly at him as he carefully maneuvered himself off of Hinamori and into a proper sitting position.

Grimmjow continued to give playful glares as the four began their lunch, almost daring the three shinigami to make another cat comment. He didn't mind them knowing that he had never been human, but he had never been anyone's pet either. Also, the former Espada enjoyed the physical contact he received but only when it came from certain people, namely Kira and Hinamori.

Hitsugaya and Hinamori, having never seen the Arrancar eat until now, were surprised at how delicate he was with his food. When he noticed the two watching him curiously, Grimmjow smirked but refused to say a word. Eventually Hitsugaya had to make a comment.

"Do you always eat like that?" the young captain quirked an eyebrow.

"How else should I eat?" Grimmjow's smirk grew slightly bigger.

"You just never cease to pull surprises on us, do you?" Hitsugaya sighed.

"It's not that I'm surprising so much as you have preconceived notions on how I should act," the Arrancar became completely serious. "If you wouldn't judge me so much, I wouldn't surprise you so much."

"Our apologies, Grimmjow-san," came Hinamori's gentle voice.

"No need to apologize, Hinamori-fukutaicho," Grimmjow smiled. "It's not like I don't expect it. Our kinds have been enemies for over two thousand years after all. Preconceived notions run rampant between us."

"You don't seem to be as judgmental as we are, though," Unohana pointed out.

"First off, I'm in your realm right now, so I don't really want to upset anybody. Secondly, three of your former captains invaded my realm, allowing me to learn a few things from them about Soul Society. And lastly, there is just such a wide range of people here, I kind of expect to come across the unexpected."

With that, Grimmjow put down his chopsticks and excused himself from the group, leaving them wondering if they had offended him. The three shinigami really hadn't, but Grimmjow decided he would just leave them to wonder. If the men and women of the Gotei 13 really wanted to think of him as an uncivilized thug, then he was going to have fun proving them wrong - starting with playing mind games with their icy, little prodigy.

For the time being, however, he wanted to get back to the fifth division and find out what other battle skills they may be screwing up. And perhaps put in a little personal training himself. It had been too long since he had last felt Pantera's weight in his hands as he danced through sword techniques, and he found that he sorely missed the quiet company of his zanpakutou.


	9. Chapter 9

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **the typical OOC Grimmjow, but I think you're use to this by now. Otherwise you probably would have stopped reading awhile ago, right?

**A/N: **I know on my profile I said this chapter would probably be another "filler" type thing in the sceme of things, but surprisingly it didn't turn out that way. I hope you enjoy it. And as always, reviews are appreciated. Thanks!

**Disclaimer: **not mine, as usual… duh!

Grimmjow sighed softly as he stretched out beside Byakuya. The noble was currently sitting on the porch overlooking his gardens, sipping tea. They had finished their quiet dinner a little less than an hour prior, and now the two were enjoying the evening chorus of the birds residing around the Kuchiki estate.

"How was your first day?" Byakuya inquired.

"It went well," Grimmjow replied, rolling onto his back to watch the Kuchiki's profile as they talked.

"You come home with your forearm slashed, and you say your day went well?" the noble raised an elegant eyebrow.

"If I hadn't of been cut up, it would have been a bad day. This proves that at least one shinigami can learn."

"Why were you teaching weapons' use?"

"They were being sloppy with their forms."

The shinigami noble fell silent again. The sun was slowly setting, tinting the gardens in shades of gold and orange. Grimmjow turned his attention back to their surroundings, enjoying the visual stimulations the gardens provided. The blacks, whites, and grays of Las Noches had driven him crazy, leaving him bored and depressed by the monotony. Now he felt like he had been sent from hell into heaven, and he wondered if Byakuya knew how great a gift he had given the Arrancar by letting him dwell there.

"Renji was wondering if you'd like to spend some time with him and the other lieutenants this weekend," Byakuya said after awhile.

"Doing what?" Grimmjow looked up at the noble again.

"Drinking until they're drunk probably," Kuchiki sighed.

"Hn," Grimmjow turned back onto his side, facing the gardens. "I don't drink."

The Arrancar felt the curiosity rise in the noble captain, but the man didn't voice his question. After waiting for a few moments, the former Espada decided to give the noble his reasons for not drinking.

"I don't like my head being muddled up," Grimmjow propped himself up on his elbows, staring at Byakuya with his intense, blue eyes. The noble stared right back. "For a predator, keeping a clear head can mean the difference between gaining a feast and starving to death. I don't like using or consuming anything that alters my senses. I need to stay sharp and keep track of my body's limits. Pain, stress, fatigue; they all let me know where my limits are. I don't wanna get rid of 'em."

"Why would you want to suffer unnecessary pain?"

"I don't feel pain the same way you do. No wild animal feels pain the same way humans do," Grimmjow replied. "Suffering is a psychological phenomenon, not a physical one. Pain is less severe when it's not connected to emotions."

Another long pause began. Both noble and Arrancar turned to admire the garden again as twilight began to overtake the sunset. Crickets and other insects began their night songs. The voices of the birds faded away. Finally Byakuya turned back to the former Espada.

"You're not as emotionless as you'd wish to be, are you," Byakuya rose to his feet and slipped quietly through the door. Grimmjow continued to stare out at the darkening garden, wondering if the noble had meant it as more of a statement or a question. Either way, he was hitting closer to the truth than Grimmjow felt comfortable with.

After a moment's consideration, the Arrancar gave a vicious snarl and pushed himself up and off the porch. He jammed his hands into his pockets and set off along one of the paths through the beautiful gardens. Grimmjow's mind was now spinning furiously, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon.

"What the hell would he know about it?" he hissed under his breath as the mansion's lights became screened from sight by vegetation. "No matter how emotionless he tries to be, he still isn't a hollow nor is he an animal."

The former Espada did a quick about face and stopped in his tracks, sneering back in the direction of the Kuchiki mansion.

"I may have more emotions now as an Arrancar than when I was nothing but a hollow jaguar, but that doesn't mean I don't want to feel the small physical pains that come with the life of a soldier," he growled. "Pain lets me know I'm still alive; that I'm not dreaming and stuck in some sort of sweet, torturous nightmare. Aizen never gave me such luxury."

Grimmjow turned and started trekking through the gardens again, still growling under his breath.

"I will never allow myself to be drugged again," he muttered, repeating the phrase at random intervals until it slowly became a mantra. "Never again!"

Suddenly Grimmjow slammed his fist into the solid trunk of an ancient willow tree beside the trail. The tree groaned in protest under the sudden assault and some of the bark splintered and fell. Grimmjow pulled his fist back and swung at the innocent giant again, shouting his mantra over the sound of his strike. He swung again and again, his fists becoming open-handed strikes that clawed at the bark of the tree, shredding and tearing at it. The Arrancar pounded the tree relentlessly, snarling out his torment and anger.

Eventually Grimmjow sank to his knees in the soft grass. His hands were bruised and bloody, and there were splinters under his nails that throbbed painfully with his still-rushing pulse. He panted both from his exertions as well as from his outburst of emotion. He felt wetness on his face and gave a frustrated groan as he realized he was shedding tears; however, he made no move to wipe them away.

Grimmjow curled up at the base of the tree, weariness suddenly overtaking his body. The Arrancar knew he should go back to his guest room in the mansion, but at the moment, he just couldn't bring himself to move. His tears still flowed as he shut his eyes and pillowed his head in the lush grass beneath the willow. As he began to drift off into sleep, his mind became detached from the pain Aizen had caused him, if only for a little while. As sleep finally overtook him, the only thought that filled Grimmjow's exhausted mind was that the scent of the earth was oddly comforting.

* * *

Grimmjow awoke the next morning to find a warm, quilted blanket wrapped around him and his hand injuries treated and healed. He was still curled up under the willow tree, and as he became more aware of himself, he realized he was uncomfortably damp with dew. Stretching, he climbed to his feet, tucking the quilt under his arm and turning to survey the damage he had caused the night before. There was a note pinned in the center of his fist impressions on the tree.

_Grimmjow,_

_I apologize for upsetting you so badly last night. It was improper behavior for an honorable host. However, the next time you feel the need to work off some aggression, please do not use the vegetation for such purposes. It unnecessarily stresses the gardeners. I do have a private training area that you may use instead._

_Sincerely,_

_Kuchiki Byakuya_

Grimmjow cocked an eyebrow, finding the note almost comical. If Kuchiki wasn't so stoic, he would swear the noble was trying to be funny. Who else would honestly leave an elegantly handwritten note pinned to a tree and then leave a person to sleep out in the grass after having them patched up? Grimmjow just shook his head; some nobles were strangely amusing.

The Arrancar took one last glance at the damage he had inflicted on the old willow before turning away and heading back towards the mansion. He badly needed a warm shower before heading to the fifth division's offices for the day. He also hoped he would have enough time to grab something for breakfast, even if he had to take it with him.

Byakuya met him at the door, surprising the former Espada. The noble had a servant take the quilt away to be laundered before leading Grimmjow to one of the private baths. He had already had a servant prepare it for the Arrancar's use.

"How are you feeling this morning?" the noble inquired.

"Cold," was all Grimmjow said. He turned to observe the shinigami for a moment. When the other showed no signs of leaving, Grimmjow shrugged and began to strip out of his clothes. When he was standing fully naked, he stepped into the tub of steaming water and sank into its comforting warmth.

"If you're waiting for me to talk about last night, you're going to be waiting for quite awhile," Grimmjow informed the noble. "We can discuss it tonight if you'd like, but for right now, I just want to get my mind focused on the task I've set for this morning."

"And what would that be?" Byakuya asked.

There was a pause before the answer as Grimmjow soaped up and then rinsed his powder-blue hair.

"I am planning on re-teaching sword maneuvers to the officers of the fifth division. As I said yesterday, their members are sloppy with their forms. And I don't have time to teach them all one-on-one. The officers can teach their units once I'm satisfied with their performances."

"Do you think you'd be willing to evaluate all the divisions in their sword skills?"

"If the other captains wish it and Yamamoto approves it," Grimmjow replied. "However, I think perhaps I should spend some time sparring with some of the Gotei 13's best, just to prove my qualifications. Wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm trying to set you all up for defeat or anything."

"I'll mention the idea to Yamamoto-soutaicho then," Byakuya then left to allow Grimmjow to finish his bath in peace.

* * *

Grimmjow managed to complete a decent chunk of the day's paperwork while the fifth division's officers did their typical morning office work and took sometime to warm up before training. When the Arrancar arrived in the central training area, the eight men and women looked somewhat apprehensive but at the same time eager. There were also a number of unseated members along the sidelines who wished to observe the morning's events. Grimmjow grinned.

"Alright you lazy dogs, it's time to get to work!" he snapped.

The officers jumped to attention in front of him with no more command than that. Grimmjow drew his zanpakutou and got into a beginning stance. This was going to be fun.


	10. Chapter 10

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **Grimm's mouth is the only thing different for this chapter, but it's also nothing new.

**A/N: **In apology for making everyone wait a few extra days past the usual for this chapter, I've added an extra page to it. I really hope you enjoy it! Also, I know the end of this chapter seems a little yaoi-ish, but may I please remind you once again that I have decided not to have any true pairings in this story due to Grimm never having been human according to this storyline. And as always, reviews are appreciated!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own anything Bleach. Duh!

Grimmjow growled out commands as he put the seated officers through round after round of corrected sword maneuvers. The eight men and women sweated under the constant scrutiny of his intense blue eyes, waiting nervously for the inevitable. The Arrancar's tempo picked up the pace slightly as he called out more difficult combinations. His sharp eyes glimmered as he noted some of the officers falter almost imperceptibly with the pace change.

After another half dozen commands, the former Espada's zanpakutou snapped out and another clattered to the ground. The stunned shinigami who had lost his blade drew in a sharp breath, clutching at his dominant hand.

"Your follow-up angle was off," Grimmjow sneered in explanation, turning away from the group. "You all have a ten minute break. Then I want you back here to discuss your units."

The eight shinigami sheathed their blades, groaning and sighing in relief now that their training was over for the time being. They staggered off in different directs to grab towels and water and to talk to the few observing division members from their units. Grimmjow discreetly watched them go.

"You certainly were harsh with them," Yamamoto commented as he and Kuchiki-taicho stepped forward. Grimmjow had noted the two standing in one of the training grounds' entrances earlier but had deemed to ignore them until an opportune moment.

"The battlefield can be an unforgiving place," Grimmjow shrugged. "They can't afford to be coddled when there's an impending war looming over their heads."

"Is this how you were trained?" Kuchiki asked.

"Hn," Grimmjow snorted. "Aizen never trained us. Instead he left us to our own devices, figuring we'd become stronger if forced to sort out our own pecking order."

"Well it seems impressive to look at, but I would like to test just how effective your methods are," Yamamoto-soutaicho announced. "You have one week to train the members of this division as you see fit. Then you are to pick your seven best to be pitted against select members from the eleventh."

"Hai, soutaicho," Grimmjow grinned, a feral look gleaming in his eyes. "I will be looking forward to this little competition."

Yamamoto gave a curt farewell before turning to leave. Kuchiki-taicho lingered for a moment.

"I took the liberty of inviting Kira-fukutaicho to dine with us tonight," Byakuya's voice was soft. "I don't want a repeat of last night, but I would like to discuss what happened. I thought, perhaps, you would appreciate his presence for such an occasion."

"You are certainly a considerate host," Grimmjow replied, giving a small nod before walking away. He knew he left Byakuya somewhat confused by his answer, his voice and response bordering on sarcasm.

While he was still somewhat annoyed with the noble's comment from the night before, Grimmjow found that it was not worth the energy to hold any type of grudge against the other. However, he still had his mind games to play, and Hitsugaya was by far not going to be his only victim. Byakuya would certainly make a fun target; the Arrancar found himself immediately determined to try and break down the noble's stoic façade.

"Alright, you lazy dogs!" Grimmjow bellowed. "Officers, front and center, now!" Oh, he was definitely enjoying his time in Soul Society.

* * *

Grimmjow sighed contently as he finished signing the last of the day's paperwork. The officers were still training their units in proper sword maneuvers and would remain at it until dinner. This left the Arrancar at somewhat loose ends, Byakuya not expecting him to be back at the mansion for at least another hour or so. He considered observing the units for a while but decided against it. The officers had already suffered his presence enough for one day. He had eaten lunch with Hinamori and Hitsugaya again that day, so going back to the fourth division to visit the sweet girl seemed a little redundant to his mind.

After another few minutes of consideration, the former Espada settled on slipping over to the third division to wait for Kira to finish up his work for the day. Even though it had only been two days since he had last seen the blond, Grimmjow found that he missed the other's presence. Silently he got up from his desk and headed out of the office.

As he walked towards the third division's compound, Grimmjow thought about what Byakuya had said earlier. He really didn't want to talk about his past with the sixth division captain. The man's stoic nature reminded him too much of Tousen's self-righteous attitude, although the noble Kuchiki was not nearly as vocal as the traitorous ex-captain.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Grimmjow stepped up to the third division's main office and knocked on the doorframe. He heard Kira's familiar, gentle voice bid him to enter, and he quietly slipped inside.

"Hello, Grimmjow-san," Kira smiled from his desk. "What brings you to the third's office?"

Grimmjow shrugged as he stepped over to the desk, "I just decided to come and wait for you to finish up seeing as Kuchiki invited you to dine with us tonight."

"Well, I'll only be a little bit longer," Kira replied before pointing at a couple of chairs to the side of the room. "Have a seat if you like."

Grimmjow smirked, ignoring the chairs and settling down beside Kira's desk on the floor. The blond lieutenant glanced down at the former Espada in question for a moment, but then he turned back to the last of his paperwork. Grimmjow closed his eyes and leaned back against the desk, listening to the soft scratching sounds of Kira's pen on parchment.

The sound seemed to melt away his thoughts and lull him into a shallow trance, allowing him to momentarily forget about the upcoming discussion Byakuya wanted to have with him. This was what he enjoyed about Kira's company; the blond's presence had this calming effect on him that helped him to relax.

After awhile the scratching noise stopped and Kira pushed back his chair, "Okay, Grimmjow-san, I'm finished and ready to go."

The Arrancar glanced up at the lieutenant from where he sat on the floor, his intense, blue eyes soft above an oddly sad smile.

"I don't want to talk to him, Kira-kun," Grimmjow whispered. "Kuchiki-taicho said something stupid last night that pissed me off. He wants to fucking talk about it, but he'll never understand it without me going into the shit that Aizen and Gin did to me. And I just don't feel like going into it tonight."

"Well then don't," Kira replied. "I'm sure he'll understand. I know it's difficult to talk about it, and just so you know, I haven't discussed my past with anyone either."

Finally Grimmjow levered himself up off the floor and followed Kira out of the third division's compound. They made their way to the Kuchiki estate in silence, both contemplating things that they would rather forget. They found Byakuya waiting for them at the front doors and greeted him respectfully.

"We will be dining in the garden again this evening, so if you would follow me?" Kuchiki turned into the mansion without waiting for a reply.

Kira glanced up at Grimmjow for a brief moment before slipping through the doors and following the sixth division captain. The Arrancar trailed behind them, hands thrust deeply into his pockets and a vicious scowl set on his face. At the moment he was wishing that he was still bedridden in the fourth division just so he wouldn't have to deal with the nobleman.

Arriving in the garden, Grimmjow noted that a low table had been set up for the three of them very much the same as the day he had first come to the estate. Byakuya and Kira took their seats and glanced up at the Arrancar, waiting for him to sit before beginning the meal. Grimmjow glared at Byakuya for a moment before finally settling down beside the third division lieutenant.

The three ate in silence, Grimmjow's attitude making the atmosphere tense. Kira knew that none of the former Espada's annoyance was directed at him which led him to become slightly annoyed with the Kuchiki. Grimmjow didn't need the noble prying into his life, especially since the man had lived a relatively sheltered life. And Byakuya's cold, stoic nature certainly was not conducive to getting anyone to open up willingly about their past. Kira easily understood Grimmjow's annoyance with the noble.

"Grimmjow, about last night…" Byakuya started when the three were done with their meal. The Arrancar's immediate growl cut the noble off.

"I don't want to talk about it," Grimmjow glared, "especially not with you."

"Grimmjow," there was an edge of warning in the captain's voice.

"No," was the growled reply. "What would you know about it anyway? You may have been raised not to show emotions, but that is no basis to think you would understand me."

Grimmjow got up from his seated position at the low table and stalked off into the mansion. Kira glanced at Byakuya for a moment, and then followed the Arrancar. The blond found Grimmjow in his guest room, stuffing clothing into a pack.

"I am not staying with that fucking pampered house pet of a dead man for another night!" the former Espada hissed. "I don't care if I have to sleep on the streets of Rukongai. Anywhere is better than staying with an idiot who has never lived a day of his damned life as anything other than the well-trained, sissy lapdog to some noble family of freaks!"

"His late wife was from Rukongai," Kira interjected.

"Perhaps, but as I understand it, he still dragged her poor, little soul into this hell-tainted, stiff-necked, uppity world of nobility!" Grimmjow replied.

Kira sighed, running a hand through his pale, golden hair, "If you want, you can stay at my place for awhile."

Grimmjow stared at the shorter male for a long moment, slightly shocked by the offer. Finally a small, gentle smile graced his lips, and he purred softly as he pulled Kira into a one-armed hug.

"I appreciate it greatly, Izuru-kun," the Arrancar whispered.

"Well then, let's go say goodbye to Kuchiki-taicho and head off to my place," the lieutenant stepped out of the guest room and took the hallway that led towards the gardens.

* * *

Grimmjow flopped down across the foot of Kira's futon. The blond's apartment was rather small, containing only three rooms, but it was away from the divisions' barracks. The place was in the center of a quiet, little sector about a mile from the Kuchiki estate, and from some of the stories Renji had told him, Grimmjow was glad Kira lived away from the often-rowdy barracks. The apartment might be a far cry from the beautiful Kuchiki gardens, but it was still relaxing and stress-free.

"Grimmjow-san, don't lie down there," Kira said as he settled under his blankets. "Come up here."

The former Espada glanced up at the blond lieutenant who was illuminated by the pale moonlight. Grimmjow was comfortable where he was situated, but he knew humans found the position odd. Not wanting to upset his new host, Grimmjow sighed and crawled up beside Kira on the futon. However, he refused to curl up under the blankets.

"What exactly did Kuchiki-taicho say to you yesterday?" Kira asked after a long, silent moment.

"He suggested that perhaps I have more emotions than I care to admit," Grimmjow sighed. "I know it seems like a stupid thing to get angry over, but it implies things that frighten me."

There was another long pause. Kira said nothing, not wanting to pressure Grimmjow into saying something he'd rather not at this time.

"I was never human, and I never will be human. Yet I can become somewhat of a reflection of a human, and that is what scares me," Grimmjow whispered. "Even in the beginning when I first became a hollow, I still reacted to things like an animal. When Aizen made me into an Arrancar, however, he modified me with human traits, including the ability to develop a number of human emotions over time."

There was another short pause as Grimmjow considered his next words. Kira could see in his face that the other was going to tell him about something he had never discussed with anyone before. The blond reach out a comforting hand and began stroking the Arrancar's hair.

"In the beginning, Aizen and Gin would inject me with muscle relaxants, often taking me to the point where my heart and lungs would fail before they would give me a reversal drug. It made me break fairly quickly, being brought so close to death over and over again," Grimmjow shifted anxiously, the memories making him shutter. "Eventually, as my human emotions began to develop more fully, their little games became sexual. If I had still been more animal-like in my emotions, it wouldn't have bothered me as much, but with my new human-like emotions, I found it even worse than their previous games. They would inject me with just enough of the muscle relaxants to make my movements sluggish and render me unable to fight them. Then they'd take turns raping me. At that point I began spending nearly every night I could out in the desert, wishing they would have failed to bring me back from the edge of death so many times. Just one slip-up on their parts could have saved me from so much pain, and I would never have had to feel all of these damn human emotions. My dreams wouldn't be haunted by painful memories. And I wouldn't feel so weak all the time."

"You're not weak, Grimmjow," Kira whispered when the other had become silent. "You've gone through hell and managed to climb back out. You're still alive, and you're helping the Gotei 13 so that we can bring Aizen and Gin and Tousen to justice. You've managed to bring some measure of comfort to Hinamori-chan and to me. A weak person, whether he or she is human or not, would never have been able to accomplish half so much. So never think of yourself as weak, Grimmjow, because you're not even close to it."

Grimmjow stared at Kira for a long time after that, purring under the constant attention of the other's hand massaging his scalp. Finally, with a contented smile spread across his face, Grimmjow fell asleep, Kira's arm still draped across his shoulders. The blond was definitely right.


	11. Chapter 11

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **eh, typical Grimmjow things, nothing new really.

**A/N: **Sorry I made you all wait so long. I've had a very busy week. Five days in a row on the road and then my laptop has been in the shop. But I finally got it back yesterday, so here's the new chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it, and I'll try to have chapter 12 posted soon too! And as always, reviews are appreciated!

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own anything Bleach related. I'm just writing this for fun.

**Side note: **Woot! Olympics!! Go everyone! Particularly the countries of all of my wonderful readers!

"Well done out there," Grimmjow congratulated the young, fifth division shinigami who had just finished making a fool out of one of Kenpachi's brutes.

The past week had come and gone while the Arrancar had been training the fifth division members and officers, and today was the interdivision sparring match arranged by Yamamoto to test out Grimmjow's methods. Of the seven rounds, four had been completed so far with the outcome being tied at two wins per division. The Arrancar was pleased with the outcome at this point, seeing as the two losses had both been very close rounds. The two wins, however, had been clean and undisputable.

Quite a number of shinigami had come to watch the match, both from the two competing divisions and a few others. Grimmjow and Kenpachi stood on opposite sides of the eleventh's main training area, their chosen teams seated and waiting patiently around them. Yachiru was, of course, hanging on Kenpachi's shoulders screaming with excitement and the occasional insult. Unohana had permitted Hinamori to accompany Isane to the match who was overseeing the care of any injures that occurred during the rounds. The fifth division lieutenant sat next to her division's team, Hitsugaya standing behind her. Yamamoto and his lieutenant were in attendance, of course, seeing as the commander was the one to arrange the match. Kuchiki-taicho stood next to the ancient man at one end of the yard. Abarai, Kira, and Hisagi were hanging out at the opposite end with a large-breasted woman Grimmjow had yet to meet and a large gathering of additional miscellaneous division members.

"Hey, you lazy cat, pick your next guy and send him out!" Kenpachi yelled at Grimmjow. "It's your turn to start the round!"

Grimmjow growled and turned to his team, glancing over them. Of the three that still had yet to spar, one was a rather deceptive little woman who he was saving for last. Of the other two, he had one that was usually overconfident when sparring with his friends, and the other was overly timid but could really slice a man up if he found his concentration and resolve. After a moment's contemplation, Grimmjow pointed to the timid man.

"You're up," he announced. The youngster looked up at him with a nervous, almost frightened, expression. Obediently, though, he stood and made his way onto the field.

"I was wondering when you were going to send him out," Kenpachi called. "You send a sparrow to an eagle's fight, cat! Yumichika, show the boy how to use a blade!"

"Don't let him intimidate you," Grimmjow told his representative. "He talks too much!"

The young man nodded and turned to the eleventh's fifth seat officer readying himself across from him. Soi Fon gave a command, and the round started. Yumichika immediately went on the offensive, charging the fifth division shinigami and forcing him to defend himself. The youngster yelped and retreated several steps before finding a comfortable defensive stance. Grimmjow nodded in satisfaction; the boy was not going to let himself become a pushover for very long.

Grimmjow waited and watched. When the Arrancar had gone about choosing his team for this little match, he had employed the help of Renji. Somewhere along the line, he had picked up on the fact that the sixth division lieutenant had been a member of the eleventh division, and so he had nagged the redhead into giving him every little bit of information he could squeeze out of him. Grimmjow had sat up for many long hours in Kira's little apartment over the last few days working on strategies. Now it was all paying off.

Grimmjow's keen eyesight finally picked up on what he had been searching for. As Yumichika continued to keep his man on the defensive, a smirk began to form on the officer's face.

"You are so not worthy of my time," Yumichika practically yawned. "Fighting an opponent who can only defend himself is rather ugly, don't you think? If you don't mind, I'd like to end this now."

Yumichika took a step back, preparing to put more force into his next swing. The timidity of the fifth division member suddenly seemed to melt away. The man darted forward as Yumichika raised his arm and grabbed onto the other's sword hand. With a quick spin on the balls of his feet, the fifth division shinigami had Yumichika against his back before sending the peacock sailing through the air to land hard on his back. As the eleventh division officer blinked up in surprise at his opponent, he found the blade of a zanpakutou pressed threateningly under his chin and angled towards his neck.

"You talk too much," the fifth division member smiled down at him, echoing Grimmjow's words that everyone had assumed had been aimed at Kenpachi.

"This round goes to the fifth division," Soi Fon announced. The young man backed away to allow Yumichika to rise before shaking his hand. Both men then walked back to their respective teams.

"Good job," Grimmjow smiled at the young man. "Now you need to learn to do that in every fight you engage in."

"Thank you, Grimmjow-san," the timidity began to creep back into the other's attitude. The youngster took his seat, one of his teammates throwing him a towel and water.

Kenpachi picked his next representative, and Grimmjow sent out the one man who hadn't fought yet. The round ended quickly, Kenpachi's man knocking the cocky fifth division member on his ass several times before pinning him lazily. Grimmjow smirked as his shinigami came back sulking.

"Let that be a lesson to you," the Arrancar told him. "Don't talk big unless you can back it up."

"Oh, and I suppose you can?" the shinigami barked angrily.

"I never let anyone look down on me," Grimmjow growled back. "Before I came here, I trained every day for as long as I could without any help from anyone. I had to be able to back up my talk, or I would have been slaughtered by those who should have been my comrades. Be thankful that you have the luxury to be able to talk and not have to back it up!"

Grimmjow pushed the man down onto his chair before motioning for the woman to head out on the field. This last round would determine who would be the overall winner of the match, and Grimmjow had to calm himself down so he could concentrate on it. Soi Fon gave the starting command, and the two opponents immediately leapt into action. Grimmjow growled softly under his breath, continuing to restrain himself from punching the insubordinate man for his stupidity.

The final round was intense but fast. As predicted, Kenpachi's representative underestimated the small woman from the fifth division well before the two had even crossed blades. The woman's slight build allowed her to outmaneuver her opponent and overwhelm him before those watching could even figure out what was happening. The eleventh division member soon found himself facedown in the dirt with the woman standing on his back, blade at his throat.

"This round goes to the fifth division, making them the winners of today's match," Soi Fon announced.

Cheers and congratulations rose from Grimmjow's friends and supporters of the fifth division. The eleventh division grumbled some at the loss but seemed more engrossed in scheduling a rematch to take place in the next few weeks. Hinamori had jumped up and was now hanging on Grimmjow's neck, laughing with joy. Everyone seemed to be in the mood to celebrate, regardless of which side they had been rooting for.

After Yamamoto had given a short speech, congratulating the fifth division's team and acknowledging Grimmjow's training methods, the Arrancar found himself being dragged out of the eleventh division by a quintet of enthusiastic lieutenants and one grumbling, tenth division captain.

"May I inquire as to where we are heading?" the Arrancar asked as his companions continued to push and pull him through several division compounds.

"Unohana-taicho wanted me back at the fourth division as soon as the match was over, so we've decided that we're going there to celebrate your victory," Hinamori announced.

"It's not my victory," Grimmjow replied. "I trained them. I didn't fight myself."

"I didn't think 'humble' was in your vocabulary," Renji snickered.

"It's not," the Arrancar smirked. "I just want to make sure you're not mixing up one of those unpolished sword students for me."

"Trust me, you are definitely unmistakable!" the large-breasted woman laughed who by now Grimmjow had figured out was Matsumoto.

As they neared the fourth division compound, the seven could see many people rushing in and out of the doors and hear numerous commands being shouted by both Unohana and her officers.

"What's going on?" Hisagi wondered aloud.

"I haven't seen this much commotion since Kurosaki and I brought you in, Grimmjow," Renji announced.

Grimmjow paused for a moment, seeming to test the scent of the air as he watched the front doors of the fourth for a moment. Suddenly he bolted forward with a growl. His six companions followed him quickly, throwing curious glances at each other.

Just as the Arrancar burst through the doors, Unohana stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Grimmjow-san, we could really use your help right now," the fourth division captain announced as she grabbed his wrist and started leading him down a familiar hallway. His companions followed hurriedly after them.

Before he knew it, Grimmjow found himself in a familiar hospital room, staring down at a face he had never wanted to see again except on the battlefield, skewered on his Pantera. Ichigo sat on a stool on the opposite side of the bed from the Arrancar, a gloomy expression set on his face as he watched the bed's occupant.

"We have him heavily sedated right now, and his reiatsu has been sealed," Unohana spoke softly. "Apparently he arrived on Kurosaki-san's doorstep in a rather suicidal mindset. He was begging Kurosaki to kill him."

Grimmjow stepped forward. The former Espada stared for a long moment before raising his hands. One slipped long, gentle fingers through ebony locks of hair that were dull and limp. The other clasped a small, pale hand that was now discolored with bruises that had never marred it before.

"He said Aizen and Gin tortured him and also…," Kurosaki trailed off, unable to bring himself to say the words that Grimmjow already knew practically by heart. It was always the same story.

"I tried to warn him once," Grimmjow replied, voice oddly subdued. "I told him that Aizen's lack of fear also meant a lack of caring for his subordinates. I told him there would be no rewards in serving such a master. I wish he would have proven me wrong, the damn, emotionless bastard… To become suicidal, Ulquiorra, what did he do to you?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **uh, the usual with Grimmjow, although he reeeaaally gets out of character for awhile in this chapter. The same goes for our favorite emo look-alike Espada, Ulquiorra. And Grimm's mouth for a few lines too.

**A/N: **Yep, here's chapter 12. I promised that I would write it up and post it early, so here it is. For those of you hoping for an evil Ulquiorra, you're going to be sadly disappointed. I hope you still enjoy this chapter, though, and reviews are always appreciated, of course.

**Disclaimer: **If I didn't own Bleach yesterday, what makes you think I would own it today?

Grimmjow sighed and leaned back in his chair after signing the last paper for the day. Hinamori shifted with him, snuggling into his chest as the former Espada relaxed. Ichigo watched the pair with a small smile.

"You've really found a place for yourself here, haven't you, Grimm?" the substitute shinigami commented.

"Well you wouldn't want me getting bored now, would you, Ichi?" the Arrancar replied, a mischievous smirk forming for a brief moment on his face. He began to purr softly as he tucked Hinamori's head under his chin. The young woman sighed, once again snuggling closer to Grimmjow from her place in his lap.

The trio was sitting around a small table that had been set up in Ulquiorra's hospital room. Unohana-taicho had requested that Grimmjow continue his fifth division duties from the fourth division, wanting the Arrancar to help her tend to the former Cuatro Espada. The blue-haired panther had readily agreed once Yamamoto-soutaicho had given his permission for the change.

Ichigo had decided to stay in Soul Society for a few days, giving testimony as to how he came to "capture" the green-eyed Arrancar as well as visiting with his shinigami friends. Grimmjow was enjoying the strawberry's company, but he wished it could be under different circumstances. He was dreading the moment when Ulquiorra would wake up, half afraid the other Arrancar would either try to kill him or himself.

"I'm surprised you and Kenpachi haven't gone at each other yet," Ichigo said after awhile.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho forbade it," Grimmjow informed his savior. "I'm really not interested in fighting someone that you defeated anyway."

"It wasn't easy," the strawberry replied.

"Perhaps not, but from what I've heard, you've gained a lot of power since then," Grimmjow yawned. "And Kenpachi still doesn't know the name of his zanpakutou."

"Speaking of which, what's your relationship with your zanpakutou?" Ichigo asked. "I mean is it similar to a shinigami's? Do you speak with it?"

"Aizen's not cheap. He gave us Arrancar true zanpakutous," Grimmjow replied. "However, our releases are something that we have sealed into the blades. In a sense you could say that I would be Pantera if I were a zanpakutou. There is a spirit within my blade, but it is difficult for us to speak with each other as shinigami speak with their zanpakutous."

"So technically you could still gain even more power than what you currently have," Ichigo thought about it for a moment. The more he considered it, the more he was willing to bet that Grimmjow and his fellow Arrancar were in the exact opposite situation of himself and his fellow Vaizards. Instead of trying to suppress their hollow sides, they were trying to resurrect their shinigami sides. However, here and now was not the place or time to speak about such things.

Ichigo suddenly wondered if it was the reason so many of the Arrancar were interested in seeing him use his hollow mask.

"So how's that Inoue girl doing?" Grimmjow broke through the substitute shinigami's thoughts.

"None the worse for wear," Ichigo answered. "She's much stronger than what anyone gives her credit for, even herself. It's just that it's a different kind of strength than what most people usually consider."

"That's good," Grimmjow nodded. "She's certainly an interesting girl."

The two former rivals continued to talk into the afternoon, and Hinamori fell asleep in the former Espada's lap. Eventually Unohana-taicho came to fetch the lieutenant, and Ichigo was summoned to speak with Yamamoto again. Grimmjow was left alone with the still-sleeping Ulquiorra.

After awhile of staring at the green-eyed Arrancar, Grimmjow got up from his chair to fetch some supplies. Ulquiorra was still grimy from his obviously negative encounter with Aizen and from stumbling around in the mud on his way to Kurosaki's place. He had apparently been so distraught and unmanageable the day before that no one had bothered to clean him up. Ulquiorra definitely could use a bath.

When he returned, Grimmjow set the bowl of steaming water and other supplies on the table. Unohana's division members had stripped Ulquiorra of his clothing and wrapped him in blankets before Grimmjow and his companions had arrived yesterday after the interdivision sparring match. So when Grimmjow pulled away the blankets from the other's body to see the extent of his wounds for the first time, he couldn't stop his sharp intake of breath.

Ulquiorra's typically pale and flawless skin was completely covered in cuts and dried blood and mottled with dark bruises from neck to foot. Grimmjow may have never gotten along with the other Espada, but there was one thing that he had always held as sacred about Ulquiorra; his inability to be touched. Grimmjow felt like his entire world had just fallen out from under him, all of his beliefs and reasoning crumbled to ruins. Ulquiorra was suppose to be eternally flawless, and yet here he was, looking like a tie-dyed rag doll.

Grimmjow brought the bowl of water, soap, and a washcloth to the bedside stand. He then carefully maneuvered himself and the former Cuatro Espada so that he could support his wounded rival while he washed him. The blue-haired Arrancar held Ulquiorra close as he gently cleansed dried blood and grime from his slender, abused body. For some unknown reason, Grimmjow felt the urge to purr to Ulquiorra, although he never did such a thing except when in the presence of those he was completely comfortable with. After a moment's consideration, however, he finally let the deep, gentle rumbles boil up from his chest where Ulquiorra's head rested against him.

Grimmjow took it slow in washing the green-eyed Arrancar, studying each and every hurt that marred the once-perfect skin. The more he saw, the angrier he became at Aizen for treating his most loyal servant in such an underserved way. Ulquiorra, while having always been deceptive in his appearance and strength, now seemed to be just as small and fragile as he looked. And even after he had completed his task, Grimmjow still held his rival Arrancar close, drying and covering him, making sure he was still warm and comfortable.

"Despite your power and your emotionless demeanor, Ulquiorra, you're still so young and inexperienced," Grimmjow purred, nuzzling deeper into the blankets. "Your attitude covers up your idealistic view of the world, deceiving those around you into believing it's not even there. And now your world's come crashing down around both of us, little one, and I just hope you'll let me help pick up the pieces. You now have the ability to see the world through my eyes if you so desire, and I want you to do so. I want you to see. We both deserve to get revenge for what Aizen has done to us…"

Grimmjow trailed off from his quiet, little rant, falling asleep with his arms wrapped around the green-eyed Arrancar beside him. When Unohana came to check on her newest patient, she couldn't resist smiling at the two. After taking a few readings and making some notes, the fourth division captain took the now cooled bowl of water and supplies with her. She closest the room's door until it was only cracked open and hung a "Do-Not-Disturb" sign on it before leaving the two Arrancar to sleep through the night.

* * *

Ulquiorra shifted, turning his head away from the sunlight that was cutting across his closed eyes. His body was sore but warm, and he was lying somewhere that was very comfortable. And he'd be damned if he left that comfort before he was ready. Aizen-sama never needed him this earlier in the morning anyway.

Slowly, however, his mind began to process his current situation. Sunlight never gleamed into his room in Las Noches, and his bed wasn't this comfortable. And why was his body sore?… He immediately regretted asking himself that question as memories flooded his mind. He felt a pair of true tears slip from his eyes as he turned to bury his face into the pillow beneath his head.

His body's movements were restricted however. He felt a small pang of panic begin to swell up from the pit of his stomach although outwardly he stayed as calm as usual. Someone shifted next to him, and he felt an arm momentarily tighten around his slim waist. Ulquiorra kept his eyes firmly shut, not wanting to find out who was holding him. A moment later, though, a soft groaned accompanied another shift from his companion that was soon followed by… purring?

Ulquiorra had to open his eyes now, curiosity suddenly getting the better of him. He found himself facing an unruly mop of powder blue hair. He felt his heart skip a beat and a short gasp leave his lips in surprised recognition.

"Grimmjow?" he whispered, equally surprised by the amount of shock echoing in his voice.

"Breakfast first, and then I'll do paperwork…" the other Arrancar mumbled before beginning to purr again, nuzzling deeper into the blankets. Ulquiorra propped himself up slightly on an elbow.

"Grimmjow," he repeated, this time his voice sounding normal again. The slightly annoyed tone must have registered in the other's sleep-befogged brain, because the former Sexta Espada finally pulled his head out of the crook of his elbow to glance into Ulquiorra's deep, green eyes.

Grimmjow sat up and stared at Ulquiorra for a long time. There was a slightly haunted look in the green eyes, and the blue-haired panther was suddenly afraid that the other's mind had been broken as Hinamori's had. Relief pulsed through his mind, however, when the look disappeared from the typically pale face.

"Everyone thinks you're dead," Ulquiorra informed him. "Everyone."

"Good," Grimmjow nodded. "That'll give us an edge for awhile."

Grimmjow shifted slightly closer to Ulquiorra. The smaller Arrancar noticed tear-stains etched on the other's face, as if he had been crying in his sleep. He blinked slowly, not believing what he saw. But as he opened his eyes again, he found himself wrapped in the blue-haired Espada's muscular arms, and the other began purring once again.

"I'll never let that fucking bastard touch you again," Grimmjow whispered. "He never deserved anyone as faithful as you. I'll make sure he fucking pays for this betrayal!"

The blue-haired Arrancar was somewhat startled, but pleased, when he felt the smaller Espada drape his own arms around his waist. A sigh escaped both their lips, and Grimmjow settled against the headboard to allow Ulquiorra to lean against him.

"You don't mind this?" Grimmjow stared at the ceiling, knowing Ulquiorra would understand what he was asking about without further explanation.

"I should have listened to you when Aizen first made us Arrancar," came the familiar monotone of the other's voice. "You were trying to look out for me, but I dismissed you. I had assumed you were just angry over being dethroned, but you spotted the danger Aizen poses before anyone else."

"That doesn't answer my question," Grimmjow replied.

"I feel safe with you," Ulquiorra admitted softly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **nothing new… typical OOC for Grimm and Ulqui, although it seems particularly rough in this chapter. Grimm's mouth again but only for a few lines. Same old, same old…

**A/N: **third installment this week! You guys are gonna be spoiled! Oh well, I did need to apologize with something for making you all wait so long for chapters 10 and 11. So here's chapter 13 a week early. I hope you all enjoy this chapter with the continued fluff between Grimm and Ulqui… I might have to break down and actually make it an official pairing for this story (advanced apologies to all the anti-yaoi people out there if that actually happens! Please forgive me!). Anyway…

**Disclaimer:** I'll own something someday, but it definitely isn't going to be Bleach…

"You feel safe with me?" Grimmjow couldn't believe for a second that he had heard that right. However, Ulquiorra just shrugged and pulled the blankets up around them again.

"You're easy to read, and that makes you predictable," the smaller Arrancar replied after he had settled himself against his companion.

"Hn," Grimmjow snorted. "Maybe you're right, and maybe you're wrong. But the fact that I'm still alive ought to make you rethink some of your conclusions about me either way."

Ulquiorra remained silent for a moment. "Where are we, by the way? I cannot feel anything or anyone around us. I cannot even sense you for that matter…"

"We're in Soul Society," Grimmjow replied, wrapping his arms around Ulquiorra. He knew the smaller Arrancar was cold. He was always cold. His pride would never allow him to admit it though. "They sealed off your reiatsu yesterday when Kurosaki brought you here."

Ulquiorra didn't reply, and Grimmjow hadn't expected him to. He didn't have to explain that the shinigami didn't trust the former Cuatro Espada. And to tell the truth, Grimmjow wasn't sure if he could trust him either at this point. Ulquiorra might be acting complacent and docile at the moment, but that didn't mean he would remain that way. Technically the other was still stronger than Grimmjow and would resist following perceived orders from the blue-haired panther, even if they were nothing more than logical advice.

As the two continued to ponder their current situations in silence, the door creaked open to reveal two people who Grimmjow was beginning to consider friends.

"Morning, Grimm-kun!" Hinamori's sweet voice rang out as she moved to lean over the bed's edge to hug her temporary captain. The young woman had really warmed up to the blue-haired Arrancar after she found that he wanted to act more as a support for her than a captain. Grimmjow returned the hug with one arm, pulling the girl down beside Ulquiorra and him.

Ulquiorra and Hinamori stared at each other for a moment before the fifth division lieutenant reached out to brush a few strands of hair from the green-eyed Arrancar's face.

"Ulquiorra, I'd like you to meet Hinamori-fukutaicho of the fifth division," Grimmjow announced.

"Aizen's division," Ulquiorra whispered in recognition.

"Grimm's division now," Hinamori told him. Ulquiorra's eyes widened, and he glanced up at the blue-haired panther behind him.

"See, I'm not as predictable as you think," Grimmjow gave the other a smug, little smile.

"But why?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"Because we needed a captain, and Grimmjow was rather adamant in his hate of Aizen," replied a male voice from the doorway.

"Good morning, Hitsugaya-taicho," the former Sexta Espada acknowledge the silver-haired protégé.

Hitsugaya nodded to Grimmjow before staring at Ulquiorra for an intimidating, never-ending moment. Grimmjow felt a slight shiver travel through the other's body, unseen and only felt.

"I'll give you the same warning I gave Grimmjow," Hitsugaya's voice was as icy as his zanpakutou. "If you do anything to upset Momo-chan, I'll have your head in a block of ice within the hour. Now I need to go and tend to my division. Grimm, Momo, I'll see you at lunch."

Hitsugaya gave Hinamori an affectionate kiss on the forehead before he departed, seeming to punctuate his threat with the simple action.

"Don't worry too much about him," Hinamori smiled at the green-eyed Arrancar. "He's just overly protective when I'm around strangers. He'll ease off once you get to know each other a little."

Ulquiorra nodded, still pressed tightly against Grimmjow's chest and apparently unwilling to move from the spot for now. Grimmjow nuzzled his soft, black hair before beginning to purr once again, understanding just how stressful being in enemy territory was for the green-eyed Arrancar right now. After what Aizen had done to him and the current condition of his body, the panther was surprised at how well the other was maintaining his calm.

After a few more minutes of Grimmjow sitting with both Hinamori and Ulquiorra curled against him, the door opened once again, this time to admit Unohana-taicho and Yamamoto-soutaicho. Grimmjow immediately felt that nothing good would come from this visit.

"Good morning, Hinamori-fukutaicho, Grimmjow-san, Ulquiorra-san," Unohana greeted, although her voice was slightly tensed. "Hinamori and Grimmjow, if you would mind stepping out for a bit. Yamamoto-soutaicho has asked me to examine Ulquiorra again."

Hinamori slid from the bed without hesitation. Grimmjow, however, didn't even consider moving when he felt the slight, almost imperceptible, tremor run through Ulquiorra's body.

"If it's okay, I would like to stay," Grimmjow announced. Unohana looked to Yamamoto to approve the request.

"If the other Arrancar accepts it, I find no harm in it," the ancient commander agreed. He saw no danger in the request, knowing Grimmjow could not undo the binding on the other's reiatsu.

"Stay," Ulquiorra's usual monotone commanded.

Unohana nodded before instructing Grimmjow to get out of the bed and the green-eyed Arrancar to lie out flat on his back. She then pulled away the blankets from the slim, abused body and began to examine Ulquiorra, checking for any sprains, broken bones, or severe contusions that had been overlooked the day before in favor of more immediate problems.

As Grimmjow watched from the opposite side of the bed, he noticed Ulquiorra's skin begin to prickle and slight shivers running through him. At first he dismissed it as the other becoming chilled from the cool, hospital air until Ulquiorra's breathing began to pick up minutely. Green eyes darted to blue, and Grimmjow suddenly realized that his infamously emotionless rival was nearing the brink of another panic attack.

Grimmjow stepped forward and offered Ulquiorra his hand. The other latched onto it with a vice-like grip, but it still wasn't enough. The green-eyed Arrancar began flinching away from Unohana's gentle hands as if they were hot irons.

"Stop!" Ulquiorra gasped after another moment, sitting up and huddling near Grimmjow. No one was suppose to touch him - ever! - and after Aizen torturing and violating him, Unohana's examination made Ulquiorra shiver with an uncontrollable terror that frightened him even more.

"Ulquiorra-san, I must examine you. We need to know the exact extent of your injuries and what Aizen has done to you," Unohana spoke softly.

"No," Ulquiorra panted, hanging onto Grimmjow, the only familiar thing left to him in this world.

"Ulquiorra-san, please," Unohana began again.

"If he doesn't allow you to continue the examination, then sedate him again," Yamamoto's voice was stern with displeasure.

"Don't you dare drug him again," Grimmjow hissed, feeling his rival's grip tighten again on his hand.

"Are you trying to give me orders, Arrancar-filth?" Yamamoto's reiatsu flared angrily.

With his own reiatsu sealed, Ulquiorra could do nothing to defend himself from the sudden onslaught of spiritual pressure. With a strangled cry, the slender Arrancar fell to the floor, memories of Aizen torturing him overwhelming his mind as Yamamoto's power overwhelmed his body.

Grimmjow suddenly gave a vicious, inhuman snarl that startled the commander into retracting his reiatsu with an audible snap. The blue-haired Arrancar slipped off his half-jacket and draped it over his fellow Espada's shoulders as the other continued to pant harshly, propped up by hands and knees on the floor where he had fallen. Ulquiorra began to retch violently, vomiting up what little content was in his stomach as the stress overcame his system. Grimmjow knelt by his side, offering his fallen rival what comfort he could give him.

"I am not attempting to give you orders, Yamamoto-soutaicho," Grimmjow growled, his voice frighteningly harsh and dangerous. "I know what Aizen did to Ulquiorra, because the bastard did the same thing to me. Unless you plan on keeping him constantly sedated for the rest of his life, drugging Ulquiorra now will do nothing to help him recover from what that fucking bastard did to him."

The blue-haired panther ignored any further comments by either shinigami as he pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around Ulquiorra's naked form. He then gently scooped the green-eyed Arrancar up in his powerful arms and walked arrogantly through the doorway, heading out of the fourth division hospital.

At first Grimmjow wasn't sure where he should take Ulquiorra to find some peace and quiet. But even as his mind pondered over the slight dilemma, it seemed his feet knew exactly where to take them. Before he knew it, Grimmjow found himself at the front doors of the Kuchiki mansion. One of the servants let him in without question and followed him as Grimmjow carried Ulquiorra out into the gardens.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Grimmjow-sama?" the servant inquired as the Arrancar settled himself and his green-eyed companion beneath the ancient willow he had assaulted over a week ago.

"We haven't had breakfast yet," Grimmjow replied, his voice sounding drained even to his ears.

"Right away, sir," the servant scurried off, leaving the two former Espada alone.

"Grimmjow, why did you do that?" Ulquiorra's voice was back to it's typical monotone.

"Do what?" the blue-haired Arrancar inquired.

"Risk yourself for me?" Ulquiorra shifted to stare at the other's face. "You had nothing to gain and could have lost your life."

"I did it, because…," Grimmjow looked down into deep, green eyes. "Because if I can't defend you from my allies, then how am I suppose to defend anyone from Aizen?"

"Grimmjow…," Ulquiorra whispered as he settled once again against the other's chest. "Thank you."


	14. Chapter 14

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **the usual OOC stuff, a little bit of Grimm's mouth, and some more fluffy-stuff (which I really hope I'm not overdoing…). Nothing new.

**A/N: **So here's chapter 14! I hope this wraps up any loose ends in the story line at the moment. I'm trying to keep everything as realistic as this type of story can get. Bare with me with the GrimmUlqui stuff that's going on right now (I'm still debating on if it's going to be permanent hint - review please - hint). Eventually I hope to get Ulquiorra more in character.

**Disclaimer: **I have nothing to do with Bleach in its manga form or anime form. I'm just writing fan fiction for fun. Duh!

Ulquiorra still couldn't quite get his mind around the idea that he was allowing Grimmjow to feed him as he took another bite from the chopsticks presented in front of his face. Grimmjow, on the other hand, was just grateful that the servants had the common sense to bring food that would be gentle on the smaller Arrancar's stomach despite the fact they had no idea what had transpired less than an hour ago. The blue-haired panther paused a moment to grab a bite of food for himself before continuing to feed his companion who was nestled against his chest once again.

The Kuchiki estate's gardens were always peaceful, but being hidden away beneath the old willow tree at this time of morning added another layer of comfort to the atmosphere. The morning chorus of the birds was just beginning to die away, and the gentle lullaby of the nearby stream greatly soothed the shattered nerves of both Arrancar. The crisp scent of the morning air was slowly dissipating as the sun's heat burned away any fog clinging to the ground, bringing a sense of laziness to the still-young day. The atmosphere, however, was not meant to last it seemed.

Grimmjow felt them coming long before he actually heard them. He immediately recognized Yamamoto's and Kuchiki Byakuya's spiritual signatures heading towards their little sanctuary. After that he picked up on Unohana's and Kurosaki's. The fifth spirit signature he was having more difficulty in deciphering through the others, but seeing as it wasn't as strong as the other four, it mattered little to him.

Not wishing to distress Ulquiorra too much, Grimmjow continued to feed him as he waited for the confrontation to occur. He nuzzled the former Cuarta Espada's hair, purring gently in his ear. Ulquiorra settled a little farther into the panther's larger body, concentrating on feeling the deep vibrations as well as hear them.

"I never knew you could purr until this morning," the green-eyed Espada whispered.

"It's a little something Aizen installed when he made me an Arrancar," Grimmjow replied while continuing the gentle rumble. "I never actually did it while in Las Noches, only when I escaped out into the desert at night."

"It's comforting," Ulquiorra commented. Grimmjow nuzzled him again, pulling the other tighter against his body.

A few moments later, the curtain of draping willow branches was pulled aside to reveal the pair's bane in the form of two rather pissed men and their three recruits. Yamamoto and Kuchiki Byakuya stood threateningly in front of the group. Unohana stood behind the two, looking rather sorry she had to be a part of this whole affair while Hanatarou huddled behind her. Kurosaki stood off to one side, giving extremely annoyed glares to the two powerful shinigami who were strangely oblivious to each and every one of them.

Grimmjow growled deeply as he wrapped his entire body around Ulquiorra, feeling the other begin to shiver in fear again.

"What the fuck do you want?" his eyes flashed dangerously as he glared over the former Cuarta Espada's shoulder.

Kurosaki immediately stepped away from Yamamoto and Byakuya, not wanting to be any more associated with them than necessary at the moment. He had never seen Grimmjow this angry; the sudden hate coming from the other was radiating off him in waves. However, Yamamoto seemed to once again be completely oblivious to Kurosaki and unfazed by the blue-haired Arrancar's building rage.

"I want you to hand over your fellow Arrancar," Yamamoto's voice was as commanding as ever, leaving no room for argument.

Grimmjow wasn't one to back down, though, "I won't let you torture him anymore."

"It was not us who tortured him," Yamamoto replied. "You are greatly trying my patience, filth. I strongly suggest that you hand him over now before I strip you of your current title and have you imprisoned as a traitor to Soul Society."

Grimmjow growled again, positioning himself above Ulquiorra to shield the other with his body.

"I don't care what you say," he hissed out. "His body gives testimony enough to tell me that you are torturing him, even if your actions are done with good intentions."

Again Grimmjow's eyes flashed dangerously, and this time Ichigo noticed a hint of insanity in them. He realized that if some sort of compromise wasn't offered soon, Grimmjow may become suicidal in his will to protect the green-eyed Arrancar. It was as if Yamamoto had stepped between a mother grizzly and its cubs. Ichigo quickly stepped up beside the commander.

"Sir, we need to back down," the strawberry whispered hastily. "I've never seen Grimmjow this angry or insane. We need to find a compromise."

"From the reports that both you and he have given us, this particular Arrancar deserves no mercy," Yamamoto's returned whisper was harsh. "Trusting Grimmjow is one thing. Trusting this Ulquiorra is completely different and a risk I'm not willing to take. He must be returned to custody now!"

"Even if it means losing Grimmjow as not only an informant, but as a temporary captain and powerful ally as well?" Kurosaki replied. "Sir, I don't feel that we can afford to lose him. Look at the improvements he's made just within the fifth division in such a short amount of time. Do you really wish to put an end to that?"

Yamamoto remained silent, and Ichigo pushed this little advantage.

"And if you're so worried about Ulquiorra, then I'll ask you to put me at fault for any harm he causes," the strawberry continued. "Before he fell on my doorstep yesterday, I had never seen him show so much as a millisecond's worth of emotion. Nothing ever fazed him, and he was so powerful that nothing ever could faze him. But now look at him! He's completely broken, his entire world turned inside out, because Aizen tortured and raped him. Yamamoto-soutaicho, it is more likely that Aizen is building his army for the purpose of painting Soul Society purple with pink polka dots than it is that Ulquiorra would ever return to that traitor."

Yamamoto stared at Ichigo for a long moment, nearly unnerving the substitute shinigami.

"Alright, Kurosaki, I'll leave this matter to you then," Yamamoto turned and began to walk away. "But Ulquiorra's reiatsu is to remain sealed, and he is to be supervised at all times. And if he so much as threatens to bring harm to any member of the Gotei 13, I will hold you responsible."

With that, the commander disappeared beyond the curtain of the willow's branches.

Grimmjow's deadly glare turned to Byakuya, and he gave another inhuman snarl, waiting for the noble to speak. The shinigami captain, however, did nothing more than stare at him before taking a seat on a small, stone bench barely within the confines of the willow's branches. Next Grimmjow turned to Ichigo, but this time his eyes had calmed somewhat. The substitute shinigami looked between the Arrancar and the captain and seventh seat officer of the fourth division.

"Would it be easier if Hanatarou was the one to do the examination?" Ichigo asked the two former Espada.

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra exchanged a few soft words before Grimmjow nodded in affirmation. Slowly the blue-haired panther eased back into a sitting position with his former rival settling once more against his chest. The four shinigami looked on in slight wonder and amusement as Grimmjow began to feed Ulquiorra what was left of their shared breakfast once again. When the food was gone, the former Sexta Espada cleared his throat.

"Shall we get this over with?" Grimmjow's voice was rough, an edge of anger still lingering in it.

"You may make use of your assigned guest room to have this examination performed if you wish," Byakuya informed the blue-haired Arrancar in his typically stoic voice.

"Hn," Grimmjow grunted in acknowledgement before scooping up Ulquiorra and slipping out from under the ancient willow. Hanatarou followed immediately while the other three shinigami lingered for awhile.

"If they're former enemies, why is Grimmjow protecting him?" Unohana asked.

"I'm not positive," Ichigo replied carefully, "but I think he feels guilty about what has happened to Ulquiorra."

"Why? There's nothing he could have done to stop it," Unohana pointed out.

"He was a king in Hueco Mundo prior to Aizen's arrival," Kuchiki reminded his two companions. "He probably feels that he could have put a stop to Aizen's takeover if he was a better king. He left down his followers."

With that said, Byakuya got up from his bench and headed after the trio that had already left for the mansion.

Inside his guest room, Grimmjow stood at the side of his bed, holding Ulquiorra's hand. The former Cuarta Espada was once more stretched out on his back to be examined, this time by Hanatarou's less-intimidating hands. The fourth division officer worked quickly but gently, his small hands soothing whatever hurts he came across until Ulquiorra's skin was back to its typical flawless state.

"Thank you, Hanatarou-kun," Grimmjow smiled when the youngster was done.

"It's nothing," Hanatarou smiled sheepishly back. "I'm glad to be of service."

The fourth division officer said his goodbyes before slipping from the room to report back to his captain. As he left, Byakuya stepped silently through the door.

"Kira's apartment isn't going to be big enough for three," Grimmjow said, arrogantly refusing to look at the noble.

"I had been wondering where you had run off to," the sixth division captain replied. "I suppose it's what you needed at the time."

"Cramped quarters are certainly preferable to insensitive nobles who don't understand the meaning of 'I don't want to talk about it,' any day," Grimmjow threw over his shoulder as he watched butterflies flitting between flowers outside his window.

"You're more than welcome to move back in here if you want," Byakuya's voice was soft. "I promise I won't try to push the issue again."

"Agreed," Grimmjow finally turned to lock eyes with the noble. "And the same promise will apply to Ulquiorra."

"Agreed," Byakuya nodded before slipping out of the room. Grimmjow sighed before stretching out on the bed next to the green-eyed Arrancar.

"Shinigami are so fucking difficult," he mumbled, pulling Ulquiorra close to his chest. The other gave a hum of agreement before falling asleep against his former rival.


	15. Chapter 15

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **typical OOC of Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Nothing new.

**A/N: **eh, this chapter's pretty rough. It did not want to be written, but I needed to put some of the stuff in to answer some questions. I hope the next one will be better, but I've run into a slight bit of a block. I'd appreciate some input from any of you faith readers to help me find a good pickup for the next chapter, otherwise you might be waiting a little longer than I'd like you to wait.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own Bleach and never will.

Grimmjow watched in amusement as Ulquiorra stepped cautiously into the main pool of the public hot springs. It was several days after the green-eyed Arrancar had been healed by Hanatarou, and Kira had suggested that a visit to the springs would perhaps do him some good as it had for Grimmjow. It was midmorning, as it had been the day of the panther's first visit here, rendering the springs virtually empty except for the two Arrancar and the three lieutenants, Hisagi, Kira, and Renji.

Once Ulquiorra was standing hip-deep in the warm waters, Grimmjow took him by the hand and led him to where the three shinigami had already begun laughing and horsing around in the middle of the pool. He knew that the former Cuarta Espada was too insecure to ever join in, but he hoped the lighthearted playfulness would help to put the other at some ease around the three lieutenants. Even after being in Grimmjow's protective care for the last few days, Ulquiorra was still highly skittish around most shinigami.

"Relax, I'm gonna stay right here beside you, I promise," Grimmjow whispered to his former rival. Ulquiorra had stepped closer to the blue-haired Arrancar when Hisagi and Renji began wrestling each other. The former Sexta Espada draped a comforting arm around the other's bare shoulders.

Kira glanced over at the two Arrancar and noted Ulquiorra's apparent discomfort. The blond slipped over to the two former Espada, offering the smaller one a gentle smile.

"Don't worry about them, Ulquiorra-san," Kira whispered. "They're just exercising a friendly, little interdivision rivalry that's been going on since all of us graduated from the academy."

Ulquiorra nodded, still staring at the redhead and his scarred companion. Hisagi had just dunked Renji for the third time in the last ten minutes, while the sixth division lieutenant still had yet to dunk the other once. Renji came up sputtering more in frustration than from any type of exhaustion and went after Hisagi again. After grappling with the slightly older man for several moments, Renji finally managed to lift him clear of the water and slam Hisagi down on his back. When the ninth division lieutenant resurfaced, he and Renji seemed to exchange some silent agreement that they were done for now.

Lazily the two men began to make their way to one of the pool's walls, Kira and the two Arrancar following in silence. Grimmjow settled down with his back to the wall, Ulquiorra close beside him. Kira sank down on the green-eyed Arrancar's other side, careful not to crowd him, while Hisagi sat on the ledge behind the blond. Renji settled himself on Grimmjow's opposite side, also being careful not to crowd the two Arrancar too much.

"So how has it been moving back into the Kuchiki mansion?" Kira asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, the bastard's been behaving himself, at least," Grimmjow sighed, wrapping an arm around Ulquiorra's shoulders again. "He hasn't been asking stupid questions or anything, and he let Ulqui and me set up a futon under that old willow tree I beat the crap outta."

"You mean to tell me you two are sleeping outside? No wonder taicho's been kinda off the last few days!" The redhead laughed. "That's gotta be bugging the hell out of him!"

"Yeah, it is, and the servants seem to enjoy it," Grimmjow smirked. "That of course bugs Byakuya even more."

The three lieutenants continued to press Grimmjow for insights on living with Kuchiki Byakuya, while Ulquiorra simply enjoyed the heat of the water. For once the green-eyed Arrancar was comfortably warm, a state he rarely reached because his pride usually forbid him from curling up with someone.

As Grimmjow's grip around his shoulders tightened momentarily, Ulquiorra realized that the panther had become an exception to this rule. Logically he felt he needed to begin breaking such a bond and become independent again, but for some reason he just could bring himself to pull away from the blue-haired Arrancar's comfort. Grimmjow had shown just how protective of him he could be by going up against Yamamoto's stubbornness for him and risking his right to live in the process. That seemed to prove to the smaller Arrancar that he could trust his once rival now. The former Sexta Espada was so different from what he remembered, so much more the king he had been elected to be.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra whispered the name appreciatively into the newly fallen silence, not realizing he had spoken aloud.

"What is it, Ulquiorra?" the panther stared down at him with those intense, blue eyes.

The smaller Arrancar stared back up at the other, searching for something to say to cover up his slight lapse in control. Finally his mind came up with a question that had been nagging at him for the last few days, but he had never found the right time to ask it.

"Grimmjow, everyone in Hueco Mundo thinks you're dead," Ulquiorra replied. "How is it that you ended up here in Soul Society?"

"Good question, and one I'm going to need some help in answering," Grimmjow looked over his shoulder at Renji, the one man present who had helped to get him into Soul Society.

"Well, Ishida, Rukia, and I arrived at the fight scene shortly after Ichigo had defeated you," Renji began. "We had been racing towards Inoue's spiritual signature so that she could heal Rukia's wounds from her battle with the ninth Espada. When we found the three of you, Ichigo and Inoue were arguing over you. Inoue wanted to heal you, but Ichigo was afraid he'd have to fight you again if she did.

"Rukia and I jumped into the argument almost immediately, pointing out that if Inoue healed you, Yamamoto-soutaicho would use it as more evidence that she was a traitor to Soul Society. Eventually she promised to do nothing more than stabilize your current state until we got you to Soul Society which was completely Ichigo's idea.

"After you were stabilized, Ichigo ran off with Inoue in order to find and heal Sado's injuries. That left me to drag your ass back to Urahara's place in the real world where we waited for permission to bring you into Soul Society. Yamamoto-soutaicho held numerous captains' meetings and joint meetings of captains and lieutenants at that time to debate what should be done with you. Eventually Kuchiki-taicho added his support to Ichigo, Rukia, and me in arguing to allow you into Soul Society. Once that happened, many of the other captains followed suit, and we were given permission to take you to the fourth division for healing. And that's where you stayed for over a month while your body recovered from your battle with Ichigo," Renji finally concluded.

"If it took all of that for Grimmjow to be allowed to come here," Ulquiorra addressed the redhead, "then why was I admitted so easily?"

"Yamamoto-soutaicho had wanted you as a prisoner of war for quite some time, because you seemed to be one of Aizen's favorite and most trusted subordinates," Renji replied. "However, due to Aizen's recent treatment of you, he decided to abandon that idea."

Ulquiorra settled back to think on all of this, while the three lieutenants and Grimmjow continued to discuss Yamamoto and his stubbornness. After another twenty minutes or so, they decided it was time to get out of the springs and have lunch. Ulquiorra stayed close to Grimmjow, one hand gently clasping onto his upper arm, as they headed into the changing rooms to rinse off, get dry, and redress.

"Are you okay?" Grimmjow asked his timid companion.

Ulquiorra thought for a moment before giving a shrug. He honestly couldn't find a reasonable explanation for his uncharacteristic clinginess. He just felt a strong desire to stay close to Grimmjow, even though by this time, he should be slowly returning to his typical, independent ways after what Aizen had done to him.

"We don't have to eat with the lieutenants if you don't feel up to it," Grimmjow whispered.

"No, it's alright," Ulquiorra replied.

The blue-haired panther stared at him for a long moment before giving a shrug and gently pushing the smaller Arrancar under the cool spray of one of the showers to rinse off. Ulquiorra squeaked in surprise and jumped out with his teeth chattering. Grimmjow smirked in amusement before pulling the green-eyed Arrancar into his arms and dragging them both under the spray again. Ulquiorra glared up at him with his teeth still chattering and his body shivering all over.

"And I was finally feeling comfortably warm for once in my life," Ulquiorra complained in his monotone voice.

Grimmjow chuckled, nuzzling the other's hair, "Well then I now have an excuse to warm you back up."

"Grimmjow," for a moment it seemed the green-eyed Arrancar was going to push the panther away. Instead, however, he leaned into the broad chest, giving a sigh as he wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's waist. "Why is it that you can be such an annoyance and yet such a comfort at the same time?"

"I don't know," the former Sexta Espada purred. "Maybe now that you're not hanging on Aizen's every word and command, you finally realize that there's more to me than just a disgruntled, dethroned king."

Grimmjow reached up to turn off the water, before guiding Ulquiorra out of the open shower stall. He then picked up a towel and began to gently dry off the green-eyed Arrancar. Ulquiorra began wondering why he was letting the other dry him, but as he slowly began to warm up again, the former Cuarta Espada put the question out of his mind.

"You guys ready to leave yet?" Renji's voice called from the other side of the changing rooms.

"We just have to get dressed," Grimmjow replied, quickly toweling himself dry as Ulquiorra started pulling on his hakama. "We'll meet you outside."

Soon enough the blue-haired panther was pulling on his half-jacket while Ulquiorra waited for him nearby. Hisagi, Kira, and Renji had already slipped out of the building.

"Still cold?" Grimmjow asked as he stepped up behind the green-eyed Arrancar.

"Yes," came the monotone reply.

"Want me to fix it?" the panther inquired, knowing Ulquiorra wouldn't tolerate much more coddling today. He was surprised, however, when the former Cuarta Espada leaned back against him and stared up into his bright, blue eyes.

"Seeing as it's your fault that I'm cold, you better fix it," Ulquiorra demanded, watching the other's face intensely as he took one of Grimmjow's hands in his own. His eyes never even blinked as he brought that hand up to his pale lips and kissed it. Grimmjow stared back, slightly dumbfounded by the action, and cocked an elegant, powder-blue eyebrow.

"Ulquiorra?"

"You may be a dethroned king, but that doesn't mean Aizen is a better king," the slim Arrancar whispered. "I want to see you as a ruler again. Even if you're not as strong as I am, I will still follow you, simply because you have the capacity to care for and protect those around you."


	16. Chapter 16

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **typical OOC of Grimm & Ulqui. Also quite a bit of cuddling between our two favorite Arrancar. Sorry to the anti-yaoi crowd, but I can't resist at this point!

**A/N: **well, college classes are now in session, so updates may become a little sporadic. I'll make sure to update when I can, and of course, reviews always help to keep a writer motivated. I hope this chapter is better than the last. I like it, so I hope all of you lovely readers like it too!

**Disclaimer:** I will own something by the time I graduate… it's just not going to be Bleach.

"What's wrong, Ulqui?" Grimmjow yawned, glancing up at his pale companion.

It was the middle of the night, and the two Arrancar were curled up in their regular spot underneath the old willow tree. A light breeze rustled its many drooping branches, making the living curtain around their outdoor bedroom sway ominously. Ulquiorra shifted, turning his head to scan the area around them from where he sat on their futon.

"Someone's watching," the green-eyed Arrancar whispered.

Quietly Grimmjow sat up beside him and concentrated on the area beyond the willow's boundaries. He couldn't feel anyone's reiatsu, but that didn't mean everything was clear. During his time in Soul Society, Grimmjow had found quite a number of shinigami could mask their spiritual signatures from his senses.

"Would you like me to search the gardens?" Grimmjow asked, wanting to put his green-eyed companion at ease.

"No, I want you to stay," Ulquiorra replied, turning to the former Sexta Espada.

Grimmjow felt the smaller Arrancar lean against him, shivering slightly from the cool night air. He wrapped an arm around the other's slim waist and leaned them back down onto their futon.

"Sleep then, and I'll keep watch over you," Grimmjow purred softly into Ulquiorra's midnight-black hair.

Silence fell upon the two until the former Cuarta Espada whispered, "I hate this feeling of paranoia, but with my reiatsu still sealed off, I can't help it. It's illogical. My mind keeps panicking, because I can't sense anything around me."

"It sounds logical to me," Grimmjow murmured. "One of your most powerful senses has been taken away, so when your other senses pick up on something, your perception of it is amplified out of proportion. You'll get use to it eventually and stop jumping at shadows."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Ulquiorra asked, pressing himself tighter against the panther's chest.

"It's something I remember from being alive and hunting at night," Grimmjow replied. "I have dreams about learning to stalk and kill during the dark of the moon in impossibly thick jungles. They're vague memories but memories nonetheless."

"Grimmjow, purr for me, please?" Ulquiorra yawned after thinking on the panther's last statement for awhile.

The former Sexta Espada nuzzled his companions hair as he allowed the deep, rich rumblings to boil up from his chest. Ulquiorra relaxed further and eventually drifted off to sleep in the blue-haired Arrancar's protective arms.

Grimmjow waited for nearly half an hour, making sure his former rival was truly asleep, before turning an annoyed glared towards the stone bench at the edge of the willow's branches.

"What are you doing out here, Byakuya-san? Don't you have to go to the office in the morning?" Grimmjow addressed the shadow beyond the living curtain.

"Very perceptive of you, Grimmjow-san," the noble replied, slipping between the drooping bows and into the Arrancar's sight. "I wasn't expecting you to sense my presence, but I guess you have more than one way to detect a masked intruder."

"I thought we had an agreement about you not pushing us into uncomfortable situations?" the blue-haired panther growled softly.

"I agreed not to ask you about topics you do not wish to discuss with me," Byakuya replied. "I made no such promise agreeing to stay away from you completely. I just thought I would keep watch over you two tonight. Kurosaki-san has reported some strange hollow activity in the real world as of late, and Ukitake-taicho and I were thinking Aizen might be planning something to get his green-eyed pet back."

Grimmjow's eyes flashed in anger, "You'll never utter such degrading words about Ulquiorra in my presence again if you know what's fucking good for ya!"

"My apologies, Grimmjow-san," Byakuya nodded. "I was merely stating what I understand to be Aizen's perception of him."

"Stop," the former Sexta Espada hissed. "I can see where you're going to try and take this conversation, and I'll tell you right now, I'm not going to tell you a thing about what Aizen has done to Ulquiorra. I won't betray his trust, nor would he betray mine."

"My apologies again, Grimmjow-san, for causing you to think I would ask you to do such," the noble replied, stepping around the bench.

Grimmjow finally noticed the shinigami was carrying something. Once he had come to stand at the foot of the futon, Byakuya laid the object down next to Ulquiorra's side.

"I cannot unseal his reiatsu, but I can at least return this to him," the sixth division captain then turned and left.

Grimmjow glanced over his companion's sleeping form to see what Kuchiki Byakuya had deposited next to them. In the dim light, he managed to make out the shape of the sword's guard; it was Ulquiorra's zanpakutou.

Sighing, Grimmjow reached over and picked up the blade, moving it to lay beside his own for the night. He then curled his body around Ulquiorra's smaller form and drifted off to sleep, making sure to keep a figurative ear to the wind. The news Byakuya had brought about the hollows was disturbing. The last thing either Arrancar needed at this time was to have Aizen attack them in the safe haven of Soul Society.

* * *

The morning sunlight filtered down through the willow bows in random speckles, rousing the two Arrancar from their peaceful sleep. Ulquiorra woke up before his blue-haired companion and took some time to study Grimmjow's strong features that were relaxed in unconsciousness. He found that the former Sexta Espada possessed a strangely feral beauty that he had never really noticed before, something to be admired but unable to be held. Ulquiorra was surprised at the small pang of disappointment he felt when he realized such, but he couldn't identify why he felt this way.

The green-eyed Arrancar's musings were put to an end, however, when one intensely blue eye cracked open and observed him.

"Good morning, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra whispered in his usual monotone which didn't sound bored for once.

"Morning, Ulqui," the panther smiled in return before sitting up and reaching for something. "You weren't being completely paranoid last night, by the way. Byakuya brought you something I'm sure you've missed."

The former Cuarta Espada watched in curiosity as Grimmjow pulled a familiar zanpakutou from beyond his pillow and handed it over to him. Ulquiorra smiled, happy and relieved, as he took his blade. As he did so, he was surprised to hear the panther's breath catch oddly.

"What's wrong?" the green-eyed Arrancar asked, glancing up at him.

"I've just never seen you smile like that before," Grimmjow blushed sheepishly. "I guess I kinda figured you never would."

Ulquiorra gave the panther an evaluating look, not saying a word about this comment. He found it strange that he had managed to make Grimmjow blush, but before he could dwell on it for too long, the growing silence was broken.

"Good morning, Grimmjow-sama, Ulquiorra-san," greeted one of the Kuchiki estate's many servants. "We've brought your breakfast for you."

Two men and a woman entered the shade of the willow tree, two carrying trays of food and the third holding two pitchers filled with tea and milk respectively. Both Arrancar moved from their futon to sit at a low table where the servants set their meal.

"Is there anything else you desire?" the woman asked as Grimmjow and Ulquiorra prepared to eat. Both shook their heads in the negative and the former Sexta Espada dismissed the servants.

"Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra caught the other's attention after a moment. "Why did Byakuya not wait until this morning to bring my zanpakutou? Why bring it in the middle of the night?"

The blue-haired panther thought for a moment on how to answer that, not wanting to upset the still fragile-minded Arrancar. He decided that it would be better to not stall the truth this time.

"Apparently Kurosaki Ichigo has encountered strange hollow activity in the real world," Grimmjow sighed. "There is some fear that Aizen is preparing to try and retrieve you."

"What is the opinion on how to handle this situation?" Ulquiorra's typical monotone voice inquired after another moment had passed.

Grimmjow inwardly cringed. The green-eyed Arrancar had to be scared out of his wits by the prospect of going back to Aizen, and yet Ulquiorra spoke so calmly. It was almost as if he had resigned himself to the idea of having to go back to Hueco Mundo.

"Ulqui, we're not going to let that bastard kidnap you back to Las Noches," Grimmjow replied. "Even if Soul Society didn't care, which certainly isn't the case, Ichigo and I would do everything we can to protect you. You ran away from Aizen of your own will. We won't let you be forced to go back."

"And even if Yamamoto-soutaicho were to decide not to protect you, Ulquiorra," Byakuya's voice startled the two as the noble slipped through the willow bows, "you would still have the fifth, sixth, eighth, and thirteenth divisions on your side."

Grimmjow grinned up at the sixth division captain.

"And I bet the third and the ninth would join in as well to protect you," the blue-haired panther turned his wicked smile to Ulquiorra.

"That's nearly half of the Gotei 13," Ulquiorra stared, disbelief barely detectable on his stoic face.

"Aizen will never take you back," Grimmjow's wicked smile widened even farther and danger glinted in his eyes. Ulquiorra saw the panther in a new light in that moment, as if he was finally seeing what Grimmjow had been born for. He knew his former rival was not going to let him down.


	17. Chapter 17

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **eh, of course Grimm and Ulqui being OOC (very OOC right now, yikes!). A bit of confirmed boy/boy love in this chapter.

**A/N: **eh, not much to say right now. Sorry you guys had to wait so long for this chapter. There are only going to be a few more chapters to this story, (I think) so I would like to thank all of you for continuing to read it. And I hope you continue to enjoy it through the end! Thanks again!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach in any way, shape, or form. I just enjoy writing and like reading fan fiction when I'm waiting for the real owners of the series to come out with the next chapter/episode.

The soft glow of twilight overtook the last remnants of sunset as several shinigami silently slipped through the main entrance to the Kuchiki mansion. Grimmjow glanced over each of them with appraising eyes, his mind swirling with possibilities. Once the last one had arrived, he followed all of them into a secluded meeting room away from prying eyes and inquisitive ears. As they took seats around the room's perimeter, the blue-eyed Arrancar smiled in grim satisfaction.

"I would like to thank all of you for coming to this little meeting I've arranged," Grimmjow's tone was frighteningly serious. "As I indicated to each of you upon invitation, we are gathered here tonight to discuss the strange hollow activities in the real world and the indications that Aizen is looking for Ulquiorra."

The former Cuarta Espada was sitting quietly by Grimmjow's feet, his demeanor still oddly subdued despite the fact that it had been nearly two weeks since his arrival in Soul Society. The odd behavior worried Grimmjow more so than he would have thought possible. However, the blue-haired Arrancar's newfound affection for his former rival was also something he would have never thought possible.

"To start things out, I would like to have Kurosaki-san report on the odd hollow activities he has witnessed recently," Grimmjow nodded to the orange-haired teenager as he took a seat beside Ulquiorra.

"Starting a few days after Ulquiorra arrived on my doorstep, there has been a large increase in the number of higher level hollows coming into Karakura," Ichigo explained. "These hollows, however, have not been attacking souls. They appear to start out at prearranged intervals and have been moving outward from these selected points. Every day their sweeps become larger and start farther away from the town's center."

Ichigo paused to let this much sink in before giving the next bit of information.

"During the last few days, Arrancar have been joining these other hollows in making these sweeps," he glanced around the room. "With their help, the hollows have managed to search all of Karakura at this point and most of the surrounding urban areas. By the end of another two weeks, Urahara estimates they will manage to search all of Japan."

"And why is it that you have assumed they are looking for Ulquiorra, Grimmjow-san?" Ukitake inquired after the substitute shinigami had fallen silent.

"Although it would have been better if Kurotsuchi-taicho were here to answer that particular question," Rukia began when Grimmjow nodded to her, "the twelfth division's data indicate that the only instances of the hollows concentrating their search efforts on any given area are where Ulquiorra was during his most recent visits to the real world. This particularly holds true around Ichigo's place and Urahara's shoten."

"Aizen must really value you, Ulquiorra-san," Hisagi spoke up while everyone considered Rukia's words.

"I was one of his more useful tools, and my presence here in Soul Society is a security risk he apparently never considered before," the former Cuarta Espada's monotone voice was heartbreakingly solemn. "I am not, however, valued by him as a thinking individual anymore."

Grimmjow draped an arm around Ulquiorra's shoulders, and the green-eyed Arrancar shifted to lean against him.

"I highly doubt that Aizen will want to continue these sweeps outside of Japan when his hollows don't find any evidence of Ulquiorra being outside of Karakura," Rukia said.

"So you think his next step may be coming to search Soul Society?" Kira inquired almost dubiously. "He won't exactly be able to sneak in with all of those hollows."

"We're not positive on just how large he was planning on growing his army," Kuchiki-taicho spoke up, "but it is certainly quite a formidable force now. If he truly wants to reclaim Ulquiorra-san, he may risk an attack at this time."

"No offense, Ulquiorra-san, but would it really be worth it for Aizen to go to such measures?" Matsumoto asked, raising an eyebrow at the green-eyed Arrancar.

"Giving consideration to my unique abilities, it could be well worth the risk," Ulquiorra's voice was slightly muffled by Grimmjow's jacket as the former Cuarta Espada rested his head against the panther's chest.

"What abilities?" Renji perked up a bit from where he was sitting. "Many of us still aren't quite clear on what, exactly, it is you can do that's so valuable and problematic."

"It has to do with my eyes," Ulquiorra turned his head to face the others better. "When they are removed and crushed, anyone that comes in contact with the dust produced from such actions will see everything I have seen as I have perceived it. In this way Aizen used me to spy and gather information. This obviously makes me extremely valuable, but at the same time, it makes me just as much of a liability if I am captured."

"If that's the case, then by this time, all of Aizen's secrets that you have been witness to could have easily already been compromised," Ukitake commented. "Of course, regaining you would also allow Aizen to discover everything that you have witnessed here in Soul Society and Seireitei."

"Wouldn't it be safer on Aizen's part to assume that we threw Ulquiorra into a prison cell where he would have gained very little valuable information?" Hisagi questioned. "Logically that's what we would have been expected to do with him. Why risk so much just to get so little?"

"Even if that had been the case," Grimmjow spoke up, "consider this as a chance for Aizen to display his power once again to the Gotei 13. He is a very vain man who rules through inspiring fear in his subordinates. This is a perfect opportunity for him to show off his power and confidence to both sides."

"So…," Renji grinned after a moment, "what are we planning to do about this little predicament?"

At that moment the room's only door slid open. Framed in the portal way was the huge bulk of a shinigami that was certainly infamous both inside and outside of the Gotei 13. The man grinned at Renji.

"Considering you were once a part of my division, I would think you'd already know the answer to that particular question. We fight, of course!" Zaraki Kenpachi's grin widened as his eyes lit up with anticipation.

Several of the less "refined" shinigami chuckled at the comment as Kenpachi stepped into the room and took a seat beside his former subordinate.

"You're a bit late, Zaraki-taicho," Matsumoto's grin grew bigger. "Did Yachiru get you lost again trying to find your way to the Kuchiki estate?"

"She ran on ahead," Kenpachi replied. "I'm surprised she's not already here."

Byakuya sighed, "She's probably raiding my kitchen as we speak."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. He had difficulty understanding how people could become distracted so easily by the dumbest things. It was especially troublesome when they were in the midst of such a serious conversation on a possible invasion.

"I believe the next issue we need to address is how are we going to convince Yamamoto-soutaicho of the possibility of Aizen invading Seireitei," Grimmjow broke into the mundane conversation that had begun.

All of the shinigami present fell into an immediate silence as they pondered over this predicament. Yamamoto wouldn't be willing to listen to their speculations without some type of concrete evidence to back them up. The commander may easily agree that Aizen appeared to be searching for Ulquiorra, but the idea that the traitorous captain would invade Soul Society to regain him was more than a bit of a stretch for Yamamoto's reasoning. All present still had a great amount of work to do before the evening would end.

* * *

Grimmjow bid farewell to the last of the shinigami who had attended his private meeting. At the end of the night, the third, sixth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and thirteenth divisions had pledged to prepare for the possible invasion and to protect Ulquiorra from Aizen alongside the fifth division if Yamamoto could not be convinced that such things were necessary. Ukitake-taicho had also assured the panther that he would speak to Kyouraku about lending his division's support as well seeing as the other captain had been unable to attend.

Grimmjow turned back into the mansion, finding Ulquiorra waiting in the hallway for him. He tiredly approached the green-eyed Arrancar and wrapped his arms around the other's smaller form. The meeting had lasted far longer than the panther had anticipated.

"How are you holding up?" Grimmjow inquired, nuzzling the feathery, black hair.

"I just want to go to bed right now," Ulquiorra sighed into his broad chest. "Can we sleep in the house tonight? It's chilly outside."

"Of course, Ulqui," Grimmjow purred as he lifted the former Cuarta Espada and carried him to their guest room. They both stripped and changed into their sleeping garments before finally curling up in the warm blankets of the room's futon.

"Remind me never to schedule another meeting to start so late in the evening again," Grimmjow yawned. "Shinigami are so inefficient when it comes to processing and planning I'm surprised they get anything done."

"Not everyone can have the intense focusing abilities of a panther, Grimmjow. Just be happy you can redirect them when they need it," Ulquiorra replied, snuggling once again into the broad, scarred chest.

The former Sexta Espada pulled the other closer, running his strong hands over the pale, flawless skin of his companion. Ulquiorra glanced up at him. The soft moonlight coming in through the window was just bright enough to illuminate the green of his eyes. Grimmjow felt himself become hypnotized by the juxtaposition of the gleaming emerald irises surrounded by the colorless face.

"What is it?" Ulquiorra asked softly, staring back into the intense, blue eyes.

"If I am a king, then surely you are nothing less than a prince," Grimmjow whispered, his mind obviously not in the same place as the current surroundings of his body.

"Sleep, Grimmjow. Your weariness has stolen away any sense from your words," Ulquiorra replied.

Slowly, cautiously, the panther leaned down to place a single, chaste kiss on his former rival's lips. Green eyes stared at him in surprise as he glanced back into the other's face.

"You are mine to protect, but I will never try to dominate you, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow sighed, letting his eyes slip shut. "Forgive me for my trespass. Surely it is too soon for you to think of such things as being anything other than a threat."

"There is nothing to forgive," Grimmjow felt Ulquiorra shift against him before his pale lips pressed gently against his own, lingering momentarily. "I have been considering making the same trespass for several nights now."


	18. Chapter 18

**Haunting the Panther:**

**Warnings: **typical OOCness, some hinted shounen-ai (boyXboy love), some violence, etc, etc, etc…

**A/N: **Sorry this took me so long to update! I had a lot going on the last few weeks. Anyway, I basically combined what should have been two chapters into one. I hope you enjoy it - I know some of it is kinda out there as far as possibility goes, but hey, it's fan fiction (not to mention I was writing this at 2:00AM). So here is the LAST CHAPTER of the story, Haunting the Panther… thanks for reading, and I hope some of you will check out some of my future writing projects as well. (And if you have any suggests for what you would like to see me do next, feel free to send me a message or leave it in a review!) Thank you to all of my awesome readers! Hope you have a great season!!

**Disclaimer: **Last time I checked I still didn't own Bleach. Let me check again… …um, no, I still don't own it.

Despite the vast amount of patience Grimmjow possessed as a predator, he absolutely hated waiting. And that's exactly what he had been doing for the last two weeks. Day after day he continued performing his duties as the temporary captain of the fifth division, Ulquiorra acting as an honorary member even though his reiatsu was still sealed. Day after day they kept a wary eye to the skies, watching for any sign of an impending invasion from Hueco Mundo. Day after day they listened for any word from Kurosaki Ichigo concerning the hollow activity in the physical world. However, all was still silent, the peaceful atmosphere urging the Gotei 13 to relax as time passed, and the inevitable invasion seeming less plausible.

All of the divisions had made preparations for Aizen's invasion, Ukitake-taicho, Kuchiki-taicho, and Kyouraku-taicho miraculously having managed to convince Yamamoto-soutaicho that such was necessary. Many of the divisions had been training together and divvying up the duties and responsibilities they would take on during a state of emergency. Communications networks had been strengthened. New interdivision battle formations had been developed and mastered in a matter of days. And yet Grimmjow felt as if they were forgetting something.

An odd, tingling feeling nagged at the back of the panther's mind, urging him into unknown action. However, he just could not manage to decipher what his instincts were trying to get him to do. Grimmjow had no idea what it was that they were forgetting, but he knew it was something big. Frustrated, he propped his elbows on his desk with a growl and ran his fingers through his powder-blue hair.

"You're not alone. I feel it, too," Ulquiorra's voice startled him as the green-eyed Arrancar slipped through the office doorway. "But I can't seem to pinpoint the answer to our question either."

"At this point I just wish something would happen to kill the tension," Grimmjow sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'll probably regret that wish when something finally does happen, but right now I feel like my skin is crawling all the time because of the lack of action."

Ulquiorra stepped over to his blue-eyed companion and settled into his lap. The two were alone in the fifth division office.

"Perhaps we could find some way to distract ourselves," came the typically soft, monotone voice almost teasingly.

Grimmjow stared as the former Cuarta Espada began running his elegant hands over his chest underneath his half-jacket with green eyes half lidded. Ulquiorra had never been this bold before; it was completely out of character for him. The panther scrutinized the other for another moment before giving a harsh snarl.

_Aizen can cast illusions! That's what we overlooked!_ his mind raced in sudden realization.

Before the raven-haired Arrancar could even register the movement, Grimmjow had raised his hand and slashed the familiar face with sharp nails.

The green-eyed Arrancar jolted backwards, falling off Grimmjow's lap and raising a hand to his damaged face. Angry eyes glinted between long, pale fingers as the other looked up at the agitated panther.

"Who are you?" Grimmjow snarled, rising to his feet. "Why are you pretending to be Ulquiorra?"

A cruel smile curved the other's lips as his hand fell away from his face. In the span of a heartbeat, the illusion melted away. Black hair shortened and turned silvery-gray, while the familiar shape of Ulquiorra's mask twisted to form a ram's horn on the side of the other's head. The bloody slashes Grimmjow had inflicted also disappeared to reveal a gothic number 6 curling around the stranger's right eye.

"We wanted the shinigami to think the little runaway had busted out of wherever they're keeping him. Figured it would be the easiest way to get them to lead us to him," the silver-haired Espada grinned. "How did you see through the illusion?"

"Let's just say you smell different," Grimmjow gave a wicked grin of his own. "I take it you're suppose to be my replacement?… So far, I'm not impressed."

The stranger growled in response which caused Grimmjow's grin to grow even wider.

"Why don't we take this little argument outside where we can have some real fun?" the panther laughed.

"You won't even make it out the door," came the harsh reply before the silver-haired Espada charged him.

"Reckless," Grimmjow muttered, grabbing the other's wrist and twisting. He used the stranger's momentum to jerk him off balance and pinned him to the wall. Without hesitation, Grimmjow toasted the new Sexta Espada with a cero, leaving a deep scorch mark on the polished wood and white plaster.

"What a waste," he huffed before striding purposefully out of the fifth division office. The invasion, insidiously hidden, had begun, and the Gotei 13 needed to be alerted. Grimmjow also needed to find the real Ulquiorra before Aizen's forces did.

* * *

Within an hour, the Gotei 13 had been fully alerted and were swiftly moving into position to do battle. And yet none of Aizen's hidden forces would have noticed a thing. Everything still seemed to be calm within the walls of Seireitei. Most of the divisions had "dismissed" their members early for the weekend, and the shinigami seemed to be dispersing in random directions to various bars or hot springs or whatever else their hearts desired.

Settled within the comfort of the Kuchiki gardens, Grimmjow held a frightened Ulquiorra - the real Ulquiorra this time - in protective arms. The former Cuarta Espada held his zanpakutou in a death grip as he pressed his back firmly against Grimmjow's chest. Kurosaki Ichigo sat nearby, having arrived back in Soul Society mere minutes ago after being alerted to the situation as well. Silently Grimmjow wondered how the constant travel back and forth between the two worlds was affecting the teen, but he didn't bother to inquire aloud. The question could wait until later.

"Ulquiorra-san," Kuchiki-taicho called as he approached the trio. "Yamamoto-soutaicho has given permission for your reiatsu to be unsealed during the state of emergency."

Grimmjow growled softly when the noble reached them, using every sense available to him to check the other's identity. Byakuya waited patiently on the panther, knowing that the newest (and late) Sexta Espada's little stunt had put Grimmjow on edge. Finally the blue-haired Arrancar nodded in satisfaction.

Byakuya stepped forward again, and utilizing the same technique he had applied to Grimmjow, the noble released the seal on Ulquiorra's reiatsu. The green-eyed Arrancar inhaled deeply in relief, but remained nestled against the blue-haired panther, much to both their pleasures.

"I need to get back to my post," Byakuya said before turning to leave.

"Thank you, Kuchiki-taicho," Ulquiorra whispered before the other was out of earshot. The noble replied with a small smile before slipping out of the gardens and into his family's mansion.

"And now we're back to waiting," Grimmjow sighed, resting his chin on his former rival's shoulder.

"At least the waiting should be over soon," Kurosaki pointed out. "And the Winter War may even get pushed back for a few more months."

"Technically, that would be more waiting," Grimmjow replied. Kurosaki didn't respond, and silence fell over the trio.

As the sun began to set, the familiar group of servants who were usually in charge of Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's meals came out to the gardens with dinner for the two Arrancar and the substitute shinigami. Still feeling overly edgy, Grimmjow analyzed each of the servants and hesitatingly ate his food, but he found nothing suspicious. They spent the meal in continued silence, the atmosphere too tense to allow for any type of unnecessary conversation. Just as they were finishing, Kuchiki-taicho reappeared in the doorway to the garden, but he was not alone.

"So this is where you've been hiding, Ulquiorra," came the sickeningly familiar voice of Aizen. The captain-turned-traitor had Byakuya subdued with a restraint spell and was dragging him along like a rag doll. Grimmjow hissed at the sight, the image of the proud noble so disgraced disturbing to his mind.

"I see you're still alive, Grimmjow," Aizen commented. "Obviously you're stronger than what I thought."

"I suggest you release Kuchiki-taicho," the panther growled.

"You're not in a position to be giving orders to me, Grimmjow," Aizen replied, dropping the noble on the grass beside him. "Apparently your time here in Seireitei has made you think too highly of yourself. That was always the biggest problem with you, thinking you were entitled to things you don't have the power to hold."

"You may have more power than me, but you have no sense of responsibility toward your subordinates," Grimmjow's wicked grin appeared again on his face. "You are unfit to lead anyone."

_Grimmjow Jaegarjaques,_ came a soft whisper to the panther's mind. He blinked in surprise, but returned his focus to Aizen immediately.

"If you cannot hold onto your position as a leader, then you don't deserve to keep it," Aizen was saying. "Is that not the way of the wild, Grimmjow? If a predator cannot prevail against another, it loses its territory, correct?"

"If a predator holds a territory once, there is always a chance that said predator will reclaim it rather than the one who stole it continuing to rule the area," Grimmjow replied. "You stole my territory, Aizen."

"You cannot win against me, cat," Aizen spat before forcing Grimmjow to his knees with his spiritual pressure.

_Grimmjow Jaegarjaques, call to me,_ came the voice a second time. Grimmjow gasped under the force of Aizen's reiatsu, struggling to breath.

"Who are you?" he whispered hoarsely.

_I am you just as you are me. We've been together for a long time now,_ the voice was distinctly masculine, but no matter how hard he thought, Grimmjow couldn't place it.

"I don't recognize you," Grimmjow hissed, falling forward and just barely managing to catch himself before doing a face plant.

_You know me. You trustme. Now call my name!_ the voice suddenly became urgent. _You are a king, my king! Now command me!_

Grimmjow's eyes suddenly flashed with understanding, "Pantera?"

* * *

_Dark jungle surrounded a temple pyramid with a black, starry sky stretching far above him. Grimmjow found himself standing before an ancient, bloody alter._

_"Where am I?" the blue-haired Arrancar demanded of the darkness. _

_"You're inside your inner world," replied the familiar, masculine voice from behind him. Grimmjow turned to stare at a strange warrior dressed in jaguar pelts and adorned with odd, yet somehow familiar, jewelry._

_"Who are you?" Grimmjow demanded._

_"You tell me," the warrior replied._

_"Are you Pantera?" the Arrancar took a hesitant step forward._

_"_You _are Pantera, or at least, that is who you became when you lost your heart."_

_"But you are my zanpakutou, right?"_

_The warrior smiled, causing Grimmjow to shiver in wicked anticipation. It was the same smile he often wore in the heat of battle when his blood boiled with excitement and bloodlust. _

_"How is this possible, though? A hollow cannot wield a zanpakutou, let alone talk with one," Grimmjow arched a pale-blue eyebrow._

_"Look at yourself and tell me what is different about you now that wasn't there before," the warrior continued to grin._

_Grimmjow raised his other eyebrow before glancing down self-consciously. His eyes widened immeasurably at what he discovered._

_"But how?" he hissed._

_"Aizen tried to convince you that your desire to fight was something born out of instinct, something natural that happens whenever hollows and shinigami meet. However, for you, that is not true," the warrior stepped closer to the panther. "You have found something that you fight over, because you want to protect it. The desire to protect has restored your capacity to love, and the capacity to love has restored your heart. A heart is the only thing that separates a hollow from any other soul, and seeing as you have trained to be a warrior, a heart was the only thing separating you from being able to wield a zanpakutou like a shinigami."_

_"So I'm no longer a hollow?" Grimmjow asked, hesitantly touching his solid stomach where his hollow hole had been._

_"Mmm, more like you're the opposite of Kurosaki Ichigo," the warrior replied. "Now, you need to call out my name and command me, or you're going to lose this chance to reclaim what Aizen stole from you."_

_"But that bastard is so much stronger than me," the blue-haired panther grimaced. "How can I hope to win against him head on?"_

_"You have Ulquiorra and Kurosaki to help you," the strange warrior reminded him. "And remember,_ you _are Pantera."_

_With that said, there was an odd flash of light, and Grimmjow found himself standing before an enormous, nearly solid-black jaguar. The huge feline turned away from him, giving one last glance over its shoulder, before padding silently to the edge of the top of the temple pyramid. It then began the long decent down the steep steps of the ancient Mayan structure. _

* * *

Grimmjow found himself once again in the Kuchiki gardens, still pinned down by Aizen's reiatsu. It was as if no time had passed at all. With difficulty he reached for the hilt of his zanpakutou, giving an annoyed, angry snarl when his fingers finally managed to wrap around the grip.

"Kurosaki, Ulquiorra, you two better give me some backup," the panther growled as he struggled against Aizen's spiritual pressure.

"Give it up, cat," Aizen pressed harder. "You can't win against me. None of you can."

"Perhaps not one-on-one," Grimmjow panted, "but we're not alone. We have each other."

With another vicious snarl, Grimmjow forced himself upright enough to fully draw his blade. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, praying that the next words from his mouth would be correct and result in something other than defeat.

"Kishire, Reijiguerrero!" Grimmjow roared, his zanpakutou transforming into a long, obsidian-bladed spear. He felt his reiatsu build and his Pantera release take over his body. His power was instantly doubled by the resulting dual release, and he suddenly understood the surge Ichigo felt every time the substitute shinigami hardened his resolve in the middle of a losing battle.

Caught by surprise, Aizen actually reined in some of his reiatsu by accident, freeing Grimmjow enough for the panther to dash forward and stab at him. The blue-haired Arrancar's sudden action spurred Kurosaki and Ulquiorra to move in on the traitor as well, both drawing their blades. The substitute shinigami quickly called out his bankai and hollow mask, helping Grimmjow to keep Aizen occupied while Ulquiorra worked to free Byakuya from his kidou bonds.

Once the raven-haired noble was out of harm's way, the pair of former enemies turned allies unleashed all of their pent-up fury on the traitorous captain. Aizen quickly made a strategic retreat to a more open area but found himself still under attack from Ulquiorra's green ceros the entire way. Determined to win the battle this time around, Ichigo blasted a Getsuga Tensho at Aizen whenever he found he had a clear shot.

Screaming his hate and fury, Grimmjow charged upwards from directly below Aizen, his roaring voice sending a familiar, powerful sound wave before him. Gathering his reiatsu to his zanpakutou, the panther let the spirit weapon guide him into releasing a powerful blast of energy which was a deep, blood red in color.

Faced with dangerous attacks coming from three constantly-changing directions, Aizen couldn't keep up with his assailants. He tried to call up his Gillians to rescue him and take him back to Hueco Mundo, but Kuchiki Byakuya immediately attacked the Menos Grande as soon as they became even slightly visible.

By this time, the flaring of reiatsu from five powerful beings had attracted many of the other captains and lieutenants to the area. Several of the them immediately joined in the fray, hopelessly outnumbering Aizen. None of them showed the traitor any mercy, and he was soon battered into immobility, his zanpakutou shattered.

Before anyone else could finish him off, Grimmjow halted everyone with a roar of warning. The blue-haired panther glanced to Ulquiorra, asking with his eyes if the other wanted to deal Aizen the final blow. Ulquiorra shook his head, indicating that this kill belonged to Grimmjow. The panther gave his companion a gentle smile of thanks before approaching the bastard who had stolen his throne.

"You don't have what it takes to lead, Aizen. Power alone does not make a king or god," Grimmjow raised the tip of the obsidian spearhead to the ex-shinigami's heart and sunk it deep into the man's chest. "A ruler has the responsibility of protecting his subordinates, a responsibility you refused to perform. And now, with your death, I will reclaim my throne. And I will always protect my followers."

Withdrawing the spearhead, Grimmjow reached into the gaping wound left behind and pulled out Aizen's heart. The man gasped and stared in horror at the still-beating organ. The panther held the heart high, a wicked smile lighting up his face.

"And this is for the ancestors that sacrificed so many lives to the gods that gave me the power to protect them in the past and my new people in the present," Grimmjow whispered, incinerating the heart with a cero. Finally he took his spear one last time and destroyed the rest of Aizen's body with a last blast of energy from the weapon.

"Well, I guess that's it," Grimmjow sighed, resealing his zanpakutou and Pantera form into the familiar shape of a typical katana again. The shinigami who had joined in the battle also sealed away their weapons and began helping each other attend to their wounds.

The former Sexta Espada turned to Ulquiorra again to see the other staring at him in surprise and… a hint of fear?

"Ulqui?" Grimmjow questioned, approaching his raven-haired companion.

"You… you're not a hollow anymore, are you?" came the soft, monotone whisper.

"I'm not sure what I am," Grimmjow replied, running a hand over the solid flesh where his hollow hole had been. "But I do know one thing."

Ulquiorra glanced up to the panther's face when the other didn't seem like he was going to continue without the former Cuarta Espada's prompting. "What is it?"

"I will always protect you if you'll let me," Grimmjow gave the green-eyed Arrancar a gentle smile before pulling him into a tight embrace. "I guess we'll need to head back to Hueco Mundo soon."

"And I was just beginning to enjoy it here," Ulquiorra rested his head against the former Sexta Espada's chest, sighing in contentment.

Grimmjow's comforting purrs soon vibrated against Ulquiorra's ear, "I have some things to take care of here before we leave. I want to write up a treaty of alliance with Yamamoto-soutaicho so that we can live peacefully in Hueco Mundo and maybe get a little help in undoing the damage Aizen has caused. We still have to capture Ichimaru and Tousen too."

"We could always take care of those things in Hueco Mundo," came Yamamoto's voice from behind them. "You'll probably want to return soon to stop any chaos that erupts over Aizen's death."

"Very true, Yamamoto-soutaicho, but right now all I'm really concerned with is getting a good night's sleep," Grimmjow yawned. The ancient commander chuckled lightly at him.

"You've certainly earned it, my friend," Yamamoto gave a slight smile before ushering the other shinigami away from the Kuchiki estate and back to their respective homes and divisions.

* * *

It was late by the time Grimmjow and Ulquiorra settled down to sleep for the night. They had decided to retire to their guest room as the nights were getting colder with the approaching of winter. Ulquiorra curled up against the panther's chest, sighing as he finally felt the stress of the past several weeks begin to alleviate. Within moments the green-eyed Arrancar had drifted into a sound sleep.

"Come, Byakuya-san," Grimmjow called softly, not wishing to disturb his companion. "I know you're outside the door."

The noble captain slipped into the guest bedroom.

"What brings you here this night?" the blue-haired Arrancar yawned.

"I never told you why I requested that you stay here at my estate," Byakuya began. "It has to do with what you accomplished today with your zanpakutou."

"What? The shikai thing?" Grimmjow asked. "Don't tell me you're a psychic and predict the future or whatever. How did you know?"

"I didn't know for sure that you would ever figure out how to wield your zanpakutou as one should be wielded. It just seemed to me that if there was any hollow that could learn to call upon a zanpakutou as a shinigami does, it would be you," Byakuya replied. "There are a few ancient scrolls and tomes that date back to a time before Yamamoto-soutaicho founded the shinigami academy and the Gotei 13. They speak of warrior souls and hollows fighting side by side against greater evils than anything we face today. Most people here in Seireitei write them off as myths and folklore, but I had always wondered if there might be a grain of truth in them. You provided the answer to my question today, Grimmjow, and I'd like to thank you for it."

"You could start by let me get a good night's sleep," Grimmjow yawned again. "We can talk about this in the morning."

"You're right. Morning would be a better time to discuss everything I'd like to cover. Good night, then, Grimmjow," Byakuya gave a yawn of his own before slipping out of the guest room.

"Good night, shinigami," Grimmjow purred out before nestling his face into Ulquiorra's feathery, black hair. Within moments he had fallen into a deep sleep, spending the night wandering through the dense jungle of his inner world. And he was comforted by the knowledge that Aizen would never be able to touch him or Ulquiorra again.

**ENDNOTE: **_Reijiguerrero_: _Guerrero_ is _warrior_ in Spanish, and _Reiji_ is supposed to be _midnight_ in Japanese.


End file.
